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V Vol. 8, No. 23lf Oct 





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Tlovell's library.-catalogue. 



1. 

fi 

3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 

II. 

12. 
13 
14. 

15. 
]6. 
17. 

18. 

19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
2). 
26.' 
27. 
2S. 
20. 
31 
31. 
32. 

3*3. 
34. 
S5. 
36. 
37. 



40. 

41. 
4?. 
43. 
44. 
45. 

40. 
47. 
4S. 
49. 
6;). 



51. 
5^. 

53. 

54 
55. 
56. 



5"« 
59. 
61. 
61. 



H3ri>erion. byH. W, LoTiprfellow..20 
.Outt-e-Mer, by U. W. Loiigre.low.20 

*The Happy Boy, by Bjoruson 10 

Arne, by BjOrtison , 10 

F.aukcnstein, by Mrs. Shelley.*. 10 

TheLaft of the'Moliioans 20 

Clytie. by Joseph Hatton 20 

The MooiiBione, by * ollin8,P't I.IO 
The Mo.)n6t»ne by Collins, P'tll. 10 
()1 ver Twist, by Charles Die kens. 20 

The Coming Race, by Lytton 10 

I-eila, by Lord Lytton 10 

The Three S;)aniards, by Walker. 20 
Thi'Tiicksof the GreeksTJnveiled 20 
l-'Abbe Constaniin, by Halevy..20 
Freck'es. by R F Redcliff.. ..20 
The Dark Collten. by Harnett Jay.20 
They Were Married! by Walter 

Besant and James Rice 10 

Seekers after God, by F rrar 20 

The Spanish Nun. byDeQuiucey.lO 

The Green Mountain Boys 1^0 

Fleurette, by Eugene Scribe £0 

Second Thouslits, by Broughton.20 
The New Jsiagaalen, by Collins.. 20 

Divorce, by Margaret Lee 20 

Life of Washington, by Henley. .20 
Social Et quette, by Mrs. Saville.15 
Single Heart and Double Face.. 10 

Irene, by Carl Detlef 20 

Vice Versa, by P. Anptey 20 

Ernest M altravers, by Lord LyttonSO 
The Haunted House and Calderon 

the Courtier, by Lord Lytton.. 10 
John Halifax, bv Mi.«s Mulock. ..20 

800 Leagues on the Amazon 10 

The Cryptogram, by Jules Verne. 10 

Life of Marion, by Horry 20 

Paul and Virgin a 10 

Tale of Two C ties, by Dickens. .2 

The Hermits, by King-ley 20 

An Adventure in 'I'hnle, and Mar- 
riage of Moira Fergus, Black .10 

A Marriage in 1 igh Life 20 

Robin, by Mrs Purr 20 

TwoonaTower, byThos Hardy.20 
Rapselas, by Samuel Johnson.... 10 
Alice; or, the Mysteries, being 

Part II. of Frnest Maltravpr8,.20 
Duke of Kandos, by A. Mathey...20 

Baron Munchausen 10 

A Princess of Thule, byB'ack..20 
The Secn^t Despatch, by Grant, 20 
Early Days of Chrietian-ty, by 

Canon Farrar. D D , Part I. . . .CO 
Early Days of Christianity, Pt. II. CO 
Vicar of Wakefield, by Goldsmith. 10 
Progress and Poverty, by Henry 

George 20 

The Spy, by Cooper 20 

Eat Lynne, by Mrs Wood.. .20 
A RrrangeSiory,byLord Lytton . 20 

Adum Bede, by Eliot, Part J 15 

Adim Bede, Part II 15 

The Golden Shaft, by Gibbon. . . .20 

Poria, by The Duchess 20 

Last Days of Pompeii, by Lytton.. 20 
The Two Duchesses, by M.itLey. .20 
Tom Browns School Days — 20 



63. The Wooing O't, l)y Mrs. Alex- 
ander, Part I 15 

The Wooing O't. Partll 15 

63. The Vendetta, by Balzac 20 

64. Hypatia,by(. has. King ley,P'tI.15 
Hy patia. by Ringsley, Pai t II — 16 

65. Selma, by Mrs. J.G.Smith 15 

66. Margaret and her Bridesmaids. .20 

67. Hor^eS^10e Robinson, Pirtl ...15 
Horse Shoe Robinson, Part II. . . 1 5 

68. Gulliver's Travels, by Swift 20 

69. Amo3 Barton, by George Eliot... 10 

70. ThiBerber, by W. E.Mavo 20 

71. Silas Marner, by Ge-^rge Eliot. . .10 

72. The Queen of the County 20 

73. Life of Cromwell, by Hood... 15 
74 Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. 20 

75. Child'H Hi-tory of England 20 

76. Molly Bawu, by The Duchess. . .20 
'<7. Pillon*^, bv William BergsOe 15 

78. Phyllis, by The Duchess 20 

79. Romola, by Geo. Eliot, Part I... 15 
Romola, by Geo. Eliot, l'artlI..15 

80. Science in Short Chapters 20 

81. Zanoni, by Lord Ly i ton 20 

82. A Daughter of Heth 20 

83. The Right and Wrong L'sesof'w 

the Bible, R. HeberNewton..,20 

84. Night and Morning, Pt. 1 15 

Ni;:ht and Morning. Part II 15 

85. Shandon Bells, by Wm. Black.. 20 

86. Monica, by the Duchess 10 

87. Heart and Science, by Collin;'. . .20 

88. The Golden Calf, bv Braddon...20 

89. The Dean's Daughter 20 

90. Mrs. Geoffrey, by The Duchess.. 20 

91. Pickwick Papers. Part I 20 

Pickwick Papers, Partll 20 

92. Airy, Fairy Lilian. The Duchess. 20 

93. McLeod of Dare, by Wm. Black.20 

94. Tempest Tossed. by Tilton PtL20 
Tempest Tossed. Vy Tilton, P'tllgO 

95. Letters from High Latitudes, by 

Lord Dufferin 20 

96. Gideon Fie ce, by Lucy 20 

97. Indiaand Cevlon, by E. HaeckeL .20 

9S. The G\ p«y Queen £0 

99. The Admiral's Ward 20 

100. Nimport,bvE L. Bvnner,P'tI..15 
Nimport, byE. L Bynner, P"t 11.15 

101. Harry Holbrooke 20 

102. Trtons, byE L Bynner, P't I. ..15 
Tritons, bvE.L.ByiH'r, P til.. 15 

103. Let Nothing You Dismay, bv 

Walter Bi. -ant 10 

104. Lady Audl'ys Secret, by Miss 

M. E. Braddon 20 

105. Woman's Place To-day, by Mrs. 

L'llieDevereux Blake 20 

106. Dunallan, by Kennedy, Parti... 15 
Dunallan, by Kennedy, Part II.. 15 

107. HouBCKeeping and Home-mak- 

ing, bv Marion Harland 15 

lOR. No New Thine, by W. E.Norris.20 

109. The Spoopendyke Papers 20 

no. False Hopes, by GoidwinSmith.15 

111. Labor aid CapUal 20 

112. Wanda, by Ouida, Part 1 15 

Wanda, by OuidA, Part II 15 




QECRET 

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And fair, in the literal and most pleasing sense, are 
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BU" MAX'S CA^.I!Oi,IC MEDICINAI. SOAP cures all 
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LOVELL'S LIBRA.IIY ADVERTISER. 

RECENTLY PUBLISHED. 

False Hopes: 

OB, 

FALLACIES, SOCIALISTIC AND SEMl-SOCIALISTIC, 
BRIEFLY ANSWERED. 



An Address, by Prof. GOLDWTN SMITH, D.C.L. 

No. 110, Lovell's Library 15 cents 

'' This is the title of a pamphlet in which Mr. Goldv/in Smith dissects and 
lays bare, in the most unimpassioned way, but with the keenest of literary 
scalpels, the fallacies involved in communism, socialism, nationalization of 
land, strikes, the various plans in vogue for emancipating labor from the 
dominion of capital, Protection, and some theories of innovation with regard to 
Currency and Banking. The great number and prevalence of these diseases of 
the body politic are, he thinks, mainly due to the departure or decline of re- 
ligious faith, which is so noticeable a feature of the present age; to popular 
oducation, which has gone far enough to make the masses think, biit not think 
deeply ; to the ostentation of the vulgar rich, who ' deserve, fully as much as 
the revolutionary artisans, the name of a dangerous class ;' to the democratic 
movement of the times ; and, to the revolution in science which has helped 
to excite the spirit of change in every sphere, little as Utopianism is akin to 
science.'"— Toronto Globe. 

MR. SCARBOROUGH'S FAMILY 

By ANTHONV TROLLOPE. 

1 vol., ISmo., cloth, gilt $1.00 

1 " " paper 50 

Also in Lovell's Library, No. 133, 2 parts, each 15 

"In 'Mr. Scarborough's Family 'there is abundance of 'go,' there are 
many striking scenes, and there is one character at least which is original 
almost to mcredibiiity. There are light sketches of social life, one or two of 
them nearly in the author's best manner and many chapters which are ex- 
tremely entertaining. The story is so life-like and so extremely readable, that 
we lay it down with a pleasure largely leavened with vegxeV— Saturday 

Revieio. 

" • Mr. Scarborough's Family ' is a very enjoyable novel. Mr. TroUope has 
never given us two stronger or less commonplace characters than that terrible 
old pagan, John Scarborough, and his attorney, Grey, whom we agree with his 
employer in describing as ' the sweetest and finest gentleman ' we ever came 
across."— J. caoJemy. 

'"Mr. Scarborough's Family' recalls all those features in Mr. Trollope's 
books which have made them the pleasure and instruction of generations of 
novel readers. He is in his old vein, and he has a story to tell that is infinitely 
amusing. Mr. Scarborough is a wonderful study. There is, indeed, no char- 
acter in'thc book that has not been carefully thought out. There is a delight- 
ful freshness about Florence Mountjoy. She is a fiank, outspoken damsel, 
whose mind is as healthy as her body. It is needless to say that the talk 
throughout the book is good. The novel as a whole, indeed, is one that will 
make'readers regret more bitterly than ever that he who wrote it has gone from 
amongst us." — Scotsman. 

JOHN W. LOVELL CO., 14 & 16 Vesey St., N. Y. 



LOVELL'S LIBR-ARY ADVERTISER. 

HEART AND SCIENCE. 

By WILKIE COLLINS. 

1 Vol., 12ino., cloth, gilt $1.00 

1 " " paper 50 

Also in Loveirs Library, No. 87 20 

" Benjulia" is a singularly interesting, and, in a way, fascinating creation, 
Mr. Coliius can deal strongly with a strong situation, but he has done nothing 
more powerful than his sketch of Benjulia's last hours, Mr. Gallilee and Zoe 
are capital examples of genuine and unforced humor; and the book, as a 
whole, is thoroughly readable and enthralling from its first page to its last."— 
Academy. 

" Mr. Wilkie Collins' latest novel is certainly one of the ablest he has writ- 
ten. It is quite the equal of ' The Woman in White ' and of ' The Moon- 
stone,' consequently it may truthfully be described as a masterpiece in the 
eculiar line of fiction in which Mr. Collins not only excels but distances every 
ival in the walk of literature he has marked out for himself. 'Heart and 
Science ' is in its way a great novel, certainly the best we have seen from Mr. 
Wilkie Collins since ' The Woman in White ' and ' Armadale.' " — Morning Post. 

" We doubt whether the author has ever written a cleverer story. , . . An 
eloquent and -touching tribute to the blessedness and power of a true and 
1 oving heart. The book unites in a high degree the attractions of thrilling nar- 
rative and clever portraiture of character, of sound wisdom and real humor," — 
Congregationalist, 
— — — -.^ p — — . — ^— — ~— • 

By OUIDA. 

1 vol., 12mo., cloth, gilt $1.00 

1 " " paper 50 

Also in Lovell's Library, No. 112, 2 parts, each 15 

"'Wanda' is the story by which Ouida will probably be judged by the 
literary historian of the future, for it is distinguished by all her high merits, 
and not disfigured by any one of her few defects. In point of construction this 
most recent contribution to the fictional literature of the day is perfect; the 
dialogues are both brilliant and stirring, and the descriptive passages are mas- 
terpieces. Ouida is seen at her brightest and be«t in 'Wiuida' the book thrills 
by its dramatic interest, and delights by its singular freshness and unconven- 
tional style. There are no more attractive characters in English fiction than 
Wanda and her peasant husband, and increased fame must result to the bril- 
liant novelist from this her latest work."— iS?!. Stei^hen^s Review. 

"We do not know anything Ouida has done that equals this, her latest 
novel, in power of delineating character and describing scenery. Wanda is a 
fine, high-souled character."— Ciiisere. 

"A powerful and fascinating novel, deeply interesting, with excellent 
character portrayal, and written in that sparkling style for which Ouida is 
famous. ' Wanda ' deserves to take rank by the side of the best of her previous 
novels." — Darlington Post. 

"' Wanda ' contains much that is striking. The central idea is fijiely 
worked out. We have seen nothing from Ouida's pen that strikes us as being, 
on the whole, so well conceived and so skilfully wrought ovA.''''— Spectator. 

JOHN W. LOVELL CO., 

14 & 16 Vesey Street, New York. 



LOVELL'S L 




AHEAD OF ALL COMPETITORS. 



The improvements being constantly made in ''Lovell's 
Library " have placed it in the Front Rank of cheap publi- 
cations in this country. The publishers propose to still 
further improve the series by having 

BETTER PAPER, 

BETTER PRINTING, 

LARGER TYPE, 

and more attractive cover than any.otli^er series in the market. 



SEE -^T^KCA-T IS S-A.IX> OF IT: 

The following extract from a letter recently received 

shows the appreciation in which the Library is held by those 

who most constantly read it: 

"Mercantile Library, 
"Baltimore. August 29, 1883. [ 

''Will you kindly send me two copies of your latest list? I am 
glad to see that you now issue a volume every day- Your Library we 
find greatly preferable to the ' Seaside ' and ' Franklin Square ' Series, 
and even better than the 12mo. form of the latter, the page being of 
better shape, the lines better leaded, and the words better spaced. 
Altogether your series is much more in favor with our subscribers than 
either of its rivals. 

*'S. C. DONALDSON, Assistant Libbarla^n." 



JOHN W. LOVELL CO., Publishers, 

14 &: IS '^osey Street, isrew "^Tork:. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER L 

PA.61 

Colombo — Dullness of the Town — Cinnamon Gardens — A Cin- 
galese Appo — Ceylon Sport — ^Jungle Fever — Newera Ellia — 
Energy of Sir E. Barnes — Influence of the Governor — Pro- 
jected Improvements 15 

CHAPTER II. 

Past Scenes — Attractions of Ceylon — Emigration — ^DiflSculties 
in Settling — Accidents and Casualties — An Eccentric Groom — 
Insubordination — Commencement of Cultivation— Sagacity of 
the Elephant — Disappointments — " Death" in the Settlement — 
Shocking Pasturage — Success of Emigrants — "A Good Knock- 
about kind of a Wife" 2$ 

CHAPTER IIL 
Task Completed— The Mountain-top — Change in the Face of 
Nature — Original Importance of Newera Ellia — "The Path 
of a Thousand Princes" — Vestiges of Former Population — 
Mountains — The Highlands of Ouva — Ancient Methods of 
Irrigation — Remains of Aqueducts — The Vale of Rubies — 
Ancient Ophir — Discovery of Gold — Mineral Resources- 
Native Blacksmiths 39 

9 



10 Contents, 

CHAPTER IV. 

Poverty of Soil— Ceylon Sugar— Fatality gf Climate— Supposed 
Fertility of Soil — Native Cultivation — Neglect of Rice Culti- 
vation — Abandoned Reservoirs — Former Prosperity — Ruins of 
Cities— PoUanarua— The Great Dagoba — Architectural Relics 
— The Rock Temple — Destruction of Population — Neglected 
Capabilities — Suggestions for Increasing Population — Progress 
of Pestilence — Deserted Villages — Difficulties in the Cultiva- 
tion of Rice — Division of Labor — Native Agriculture 58 

CHAPTER V. 

Real Cost of Land — Want of Communication— Coflfee-planting— 
Comparison between French and English Settlers — Landslips 
— Forest-clearing — Manuring — The Coffee Bug — Rats — Fatted 
Stock — Suggestions for Sheep-farming — Attack of a Leopard 
— Leopards and Chetahs — Boy Devoured — Traps — Musk Cats 
and the Mongoose — Vermin of Ceylon 81 

CHAPTER VL 
"Game Eyes" for Wild Sports — Enjoyments of Wild Life — 
Cruelty of Sports — Native Hunters — Moormen Traders — 
Their wretched Guns — Rifles and Smooth-bores — Heavy Balls 
and Heavy Metal — Seattle's Rifles— Balls and Patches— Ex- 
periments — The Double-groove — Power of Heavy Metal- 
Curious Shot at a Bull Elephant — African and Ceylon Ele- 
phants — Structure of Skull — Lack of Trophies — Boar-spears 
and Hunting-knives — " Bertram" — A Boar Hunt — Fatal Cut. 104 

CHAPTER VIL 

Curious Phenomenon — Panorama of Ouva — South-west Mon- 
soon — Hunting Followers — Fort M'Donald River — Jungle 
Paths — Dangerous Locality— Great Waterfall— Start for Hunt- 



Contents, 1 1 

PAOI 

!ng— The Find— A Gallant Stag— "Bran" and "Lucifer"— 
« Phrenzy's" Death— Buck at Bay— The Cave Hunting-box— 
"Madcap's" Dive— Elk Soup— Former Inundation — "Blue- 
beard" leads off-" Hecate's" Course— The Elk's Leap— Vari- 
ety of Deer — The Axis— Ceylon Bears — Variety of Vermin — 
Trials for Hounds — Hounds and their Masters— A Sportsman 
" shut up"— A Corporal and Centipede 132 

CHAPTER VIIL 
Observations on Nature in the Tropics— The Dung Beetle — The 
Mason-fly — Spiders — Luminous Insects— Efforts of a Natural- 
ist — Dogs Worried by Leeches — Tropical Diseases — Malaria — 
Causes of Infection — Disappearance of the " Mina"— Poison- 
ous Water — Well-digging Elephants, , 175 

CHAPTER IX. 

Instinct and Reason — Tailor Birds and Grosbeaks — The White 
Ant — Black Ants at War — Wanderoo Monkeys — Habits of 
Elephants — Elephants in the Lake — Herd of Elephants Bath- 
ing — Elephant-shooting — The Rencontre — The C harge — 
Caught by the Tail — Horse Gored by a Buffalo — Sagacity of 
Dogs — " Bluebeard" — His Hunt— A True Hound 194 

CHAPTER X. 

Wild Fruits — Ingredients for a " Soupe Maigre" — Orchidaceous 
Plants — Wild Nutmegs — Native Oils — Cinnamon — Primeval 
Forests — Valuable Woods — The Mahawelli River — Variety of 
Palms — Cocoa-nut Toddy — Arrack — Cocoa-nut Oil — Cocoa- 
nut-planting — The Talipot Palm — The Areca Palm — Betel 
Chewing — Sago Nuts — Variety of Bees — Waste of Beeswax — 
Edible Fungi — Narcotic Puff-ball — Intoxicating Drugs — Pois- 
oned Cakes— The " Sack Tree"— No Gum Trees of Value in 
Ceylon 3ig 



I J Contents. 

CHAPTER XL 

Indigenous Productions — Botanical Gardens — Suggested Expeii* 
ments — Lack of Encouragement to Gold-diggers — Prospects 
of Gold-digging — We want " Nuggets" — Who is to Blame ? — 
Governor's Salary— Fallacies of a Five Years' Reign — Ne- 
glected Education of the People — Responsibilities of Conquest 
— Progress of Christianity 25$ 

CHAPTER XIL 
The Pearl Fishery — Desolation of the Coast — Harbor of Trin- * 
comalee— Fatal Attack by a Shark — Ferocious Crocodiles — Salt 
Monopoly — Salt Lakes — Method of Collection — Neglect of 
Ceylon Hides— Fish and Fishing — Primitive Tackle — Oysters 
and Penknives — A Night Bivouac for a Novice — No Dinner, 
but a Good Fire — Wild Yams and Consequences — ^The Ele- 
phants' Duel — A Hunting Hermitage — Bluebeard's last Himt 
— The Leopard — Bluebeard's Death — Leopard Shot 281 

CHAPTER XIIL 

Wild Denizens of Forest and Lake — Destroyers of Reptiles — 
The Tree Duck— The Mysteries of Night in the Forest— The 
Devil-Bird — The Iguanodon in Miniature — Outrigger Canoes 
— ^The Last Glimpse of Ceylon — A Glance at Old Times. ... 31c 



Eight Years* Wanderings. 



CHAPTER I. 

COLOMBO — DULLNESS OF THE TOWN— CINNAMON GARDENi — 
A CINGALESE AJTO — CEYLON SPORT — JUNGLE FEVER — 
NEWERA ELLIA — ENERGY OF SIR E. BARNES — INFLUENCE 
OF THE GOVERNOR — PROJECTED IMPROVEMENTS. 

IT was in the year 1845 that the spirit of wandering 
allured me toward Ceylon : little did I imagine at 
that time that I should eventually become a settler. 

The descriptions of its sports, and the tales of hair- 
breadth escapes from elephants, which I had read in 
various publications, were sources of attraction against 
"which I strove in vain ; and I at length determined 
upon the very wild idea of spending twelve n:onths in 
Ceylon jungles. 

It is said that the delights of pleasures in anticipa- 
tion exceed the pleasures themselves : in this case 
doubtless some months of great enjoyment passed in 
Tnaking plans of every description, until I at length 
arrived in Colombo, Ceylon's seaport capital. 

I never experienced greater disappointment in an ex- 
pectation than on my first view of Colombo. I had 

16 



1 6 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

spent some time at Mam'itius and Bourbon previous tcf 
my arrival, and I soon perceived that the far-famed 
Ceylon was nearly a century behind either of those 
small islands. 

Instead of the bustling activity of the Port Louis 
harbor in Mauritius, there were a few vessels rolling 
about in the roadstead, and some forty or fifty fishing 
canoes hauled up on the sandy beach. There was a 
peculiar dullness throughout the town — a sort of some- 
thing which seemed to say, "Coffee does not pay." 
There was a want of spirit in everything. The ill- 
conditioned guns upon the fort looked as though not 
intended to defend it ; the sentinels looked parboiled ; 
the very natives sauntered rather than walked ; the 
bullocks crawled along in the midday sun, listlessly 
dragging the native carts. Everything and everybody 
seemed enervated, except those frightfully active people 
in all countries and climates, "the custom-house 
officers ;" these necessary plagues to society gave their 
usual amount of annoyance. 

What struck me the most forcibly in Colombo was 
the want of shops. In Port Louis the wide and well- 
paved streets were lined with excellent " magasins" of 
every description ; here, on the contrary, it was difficult 
to find anything in the shape of a shop until I was in- 
troduced to a soi'disant store, where everything was to 
be purchased from a needle to a crowbar, and from 
satin to sail-cloth ; the useful predominating over the 
ornamental in all cases. It was all on a poor scale ; 
and after several inquiries respecting the best hotel, I 
located myself at that termed the Royal or Seager's 
Hotel. This was airy, white and clean throughout; 
but there was a barn-like appearance, as there ia 



Cinnamon Gardens. 17 

throughout most private dwellings in Colombo, which 
bani^.hed all idea of comfort. 

A good tiffin concluded, which produced a happier 
state of mind, I ordered a carriage for a drive to the 
Cinnamon Gardens. The general style of Ceylon 
carriages appeared in the shape of a caricature of a 
hearse : this goes by the name of a palanquin carriage. 
Those usually hired are drawn by a single horse, whose 
natural vicious propensities are restrained by a low 
system of diet. 

In this vehicle, whose gaunt steed was led at a mel- 
ancholy trot by an equally small-fed horsekeeper, I 
traversed the environs of Colombo. Through the 
winding fort gateway, across the flat Galle Face (the 
race-course), freshened by the sea-breeze as the waves 
break upon its western side ; through the Col petty — 
topes of cocoanut trees shading the road, and the 
houses of the better class of European residents to the 
right and left ; then turning to the left — a few minutes 
of expectation — and behold the Cinnamon Gardens ! 

What fairy-like pleasure-grounds have we fondly an- 
ticipated ! what perfumes of spices, and all that our 
childish imaginations had pictured as the ornamental 
portions of a cinnamon garden ! 

A vast area of scrubby, low jungle, composed of 
cinnamon bushes, is seen to the right and left, before 
and behind. Above, is a cloudless sky and a broiling 
sun ; below, is snow-white sand of quartz, curious only 
in the possibility of its supporting vegetation. Such 
is the soil in which the cinnamon delights ; such are 
the Cinnamon Gardens, in which I delight not. They 
are an imposition, and they only serve as an addition 
to the disappointments of a visitor to Colombo. In 
2* B 



iS Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

fact, the whole place is a series of disappointments. 
You see a native woman clad in snow-white petticoats, 
a beautiful tortoiseshell comb fastened in her raven 
hair ; you pass her — ^you look back — wonderful ! she 
has a beard ! Deluded stranger, this is only another 
disappointment ; it is a Cingalese Appo — a man — no, 
not a man — a something male in petticoats ; a petty 
thief, a treacherous, cowardly villain, who would per- 
petrate the greatest rascality had he only the pluck to 
dare it. In fact, in this petticoated wretch you see a 
type of the nation of Cingalese. 

On the morning following my arrival in Ceylon, I 
was delighted to see several persons seated at the 
" table-d'h6te" when I entered the room, as I was most 
anxious to gain some positive information respecting 
the game of the island, the best localities, etc., etc. I 
was soon engaged in conversation, and one of my first 
questions naturally turned upon sport. 

'■'' Sport!" exclaimed two gentlemen simultaneously 
— ''''Sport! there is no sport to be had in Ceylon !" — "at 
least the race-week is the only sport that I know of." 
said the taller gentleman. 

"No sport!" said I, half energetically and half des- 
pairingly. "Absurd! every book on Ceylon mentions 
the amount of game as immense ; and as to ele- 
phants — " 

Here I was interrupted by the same gentleman. 
"All gross exaggerations," said he — "gross exaggera- 
tions ; in fact, inventions to give interest to a book. I 
have an estate in the interior, and I have never seen a 
wild elephant. There may be a few in the jungles of 
Ceylon, but very few, and you never see them." 

I began to discover the stamp of my companion 



yungle Fever. 15 

from his expression, "You never see them." Of course 
I concluded that he had never looked for them ; and I 
began to recover from the first shock which his ex- 
clamation, " There is no sport in Ceylon !" had given 
me. 

I subsequently discovered that my new and non- 
sporting acquaintances were cofFee-planters of a class 
then known as the Galle Face planters, who passed 
their time in cantering about the Colombo race-course 
and idling in the town, while their estates lay a hundred 
miles distant, uncared for and naturally ruining their 
proprietors. 

That same afternoon, to my delight and surprise, I 
met an old Gloucestershire friend in an officer of the 
Fifteenth Regiment, then stationed in Ceylon. From 
him I soon learnt that the character of Ceylon for 
game had never been exaggerated ; and from that mo- 
ment my preparations for the jungle commenced. 

I rented a good airy house in Colombo as head- 
quarters, and the verandas were soon strewed with 
jungle-baskets, boxes, tent, gun-cases, and all the para- 
phernalia of a shooting trip. 

What unforeseen and apparently trivial incidents 
may upset all our plans for the future and turn our 
whole course of life ! 

At the expiration of twelve months my shooting 
trips and adventures were succeeded by so severe an 
attack of jungle fever that from a naturally robust 
frame I dwindled to a mere nothing, and very little of 
my former self remained. The first symptom of cou' 
valescence was accompanied by a peremptory order 
from my medical attendant to start for the highlands, 



ZO Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

to the mountainous region of Newera Ellia, the sanita 
rium of the island. 

A poor, miserable wretch I was upon my arrival at 
this elevated station, suffering not only from the fever 
itself, but from the feeling of an exquisite debility that 
creates an utter hopelessness of the renewal of strength. 

I was only a fortnight at Newera Ellia. The rest- 
house or inn was the perfection of everything that was 
dirty and uncomfortable. The toughest possible speci- 
men of a beef-steak, black bread and potatoes were 
the choicest and only viands obtainable for an invalid. 
There was literally nothing else ; it was a land of 
starvation. But the climate ! what can I say to de- 
scribe the wonderful effects of such a pure and unpol- 
luted air.? Simply, that at the expiration of a fort- 
night, in spite of the tough beef, and the black bread 
and potatoes, I was as well and as strong as I ever had 
been ; and in proof of this I started instanter for 
another shooting excursion in the interior. 

It was impossible to have visited Newera Ellia, and 
to have benefited in such a wonderful manner by the 
climate, without contemplating with astonishment its 
poverty-stricken and neglected state. 

At that time it was the most miserable place con- 
ceivable. There was a total absence of all ideas of 
comfort or arrangement. The houses were for the 
most part built of such unsubstantial materials as stick 
and mud plastered over with mortar — pretty enough in 
exterior, but rotten in ten or twelve years. The only 
really good residence was a fine stone building erected 
by Sir Edward Barnes when governor of Ceylon. To 
him alone indeed are we indebted for the existence of 
a sanitarium. It was he who opened the road, not 



New era Elha. li 

only to Newera Ellia, but for thirty-six miles farther 
on the same line to Badulla. At his own expense he 
built a substantial mansion at a cost, as it is said, of 
eight thousand pounds, and with provident care for 
the health of the European troops, he erected barracks 
and officers* quarters for the invalids. 

Under his government Newera Ellia was rapidly be- 
coming a place of importance, but unfortunately at the 
expiration of his term the place became neglected. 
His successor took no interest in the plans of his pre- 
decessor ; and from tliat period, each successive gover- 
nor being influenced by an increasing spirit of parsi- 
mony, Newera Ellia has remained "in statu quo," not 
even having been visited by the present governor. 

In a small colony like Ceylon it is astonishing how 
the movements and opinions of the governor influence 
the public mind. In the present instance, however, 
the ?novements of the governor (Sir G. Anderson) can- 
not carry much weight, as he does not move at all, 
with the exception of an occasional drive from Colombo 
to Kandy. His knowledge of the colony and of its 
wants or resources must therefore, from his personal 
experience, be limited to the Kandy road. This 
apathy, when exhibited by her Majesty's representative, 
is highly contagious among the public of all classes 
and colors, and cannot have other than a bad moral 
tendency. 

Upon my first visit to Newera Ellia, in 1847? Lord 
Torrington was the governor of Ceylon, a man of 
active mind, with an ardent desire to test its real capa- 
bilities and to work great improvements in the colony. 
Unfortunately, his term as governor was shorter than 
was expected. The elements of discord were at that 



22 Eight T'ears* Wanderings in Ceylon. 

time at work among all classes in Ceylon, and Lord 
Torrington was recalled. 

From the causes of neglect described, Newera EUia 
was in the deserted and wretched state in which I saw 
it ; but so infatuated was I in the belief that its import- 
ance must be appreciated when the knowledge of its 
climate was more widely extended that I looked for- 
ward to its becoming at some future time a rival to the 
Neilgherries station in India. My ideas were based 
upon the natural features of the place, combined with 
its requirements. 

It apparently produced nothing except potatoes. The 
soil was supposed to be as good as it appeared to be. 
The quality of the water and the supply were unques- 
tionable ; the climate could not be surpassed for salu- 
brity. There was a carriage road from Colombo, one 
hundred and fifteen miles, and from Kandy, forty-seven 
miles ; the last thirteen being the Rambodd6 Pass, 
arriving at an elevation of six thousand six hundred 
feet, from which point a descent of two miles termi- 
nated the road to Newera EUia. 

The station then consisted of about twenty private 
residences, the barracks and officers' quarters, the rest- 
house and the bazaar ; the latter containing about two 
hundred native inhabitants. 

Bounded upon all sides but the east by high moun- 
tains, the plain of Newera EUia lay like a level valley 
of about two miles in length by half a mile in width, 
bordered by undulating grassy knolls at the foot of the 
mountains. Upon these spots of elevated ground most 
of the dwellings were situated, commanding a view of 
the plain, with the river winding through its centre. 
The mountains were clothed from the base to the sum- 



Projected Improvements, 23 

mit with dense forests, containing excellent timber for 
building purposes. Good building-stone was procurable 
everywhere ; limestone at a distance of five miles. 

The whole of the adjacent country was a repetition 
of the Newera Ellia plain with slight variations, com- 
prising a vast extent of alternate swampy plaint and 
dense forests. 

Why should this place lie idle? Why should this 
great tract of country in such a lovely climate be un- 
tenanted and uncultivated ? How often I have stood 
upon the hills and asked myself this question when 
gazing over the wide extent of undulating forest and 
plain ! How often I have thought of the thousands of 
starving wretches at home, who here might earn a 
comfortable livelihood ! and I have scanned the vast 
tract of country, and in my imagination I have cleared 
the dark forests and substituted waving crops of corn, 
and peopled a hundred ideal cottages with a thriving 
peasantry. 

Why should not the highlands of Ceylon, with an 
Italian climate, be rescued from their state of barren* 
ness } Why should not the plains be drained, the for- 
ests felled, and cultivation take the place of the rank 
pasturage, and supplies be produced to make Ceylon 
independent of other countries } Why should not schools 
be established, a comfortable hotel be erected, a church 
be built.? In fact, why should Newera Ellia, with its 
wonderful climate, so easily attainable, be neglected in 
a country like Ceylon, proverbial for its unhealthiness.?" 

These were my ideas when I first visited Newera 
Ellia, before I had much experience in either people or 
things connected with the island. 

My twelve months' tour in Ceylon being completed, 



24 Eight Tears' Wandering's in Ceylon. 

I returned to England delighted with what I had seen 
of Ceylon in general, but, above all, with my short 
visit to Newera Ellia, malgre its barrenness and want 
of comfort, caused rather by the neglect of man than 
by the lack of resources in the locality. 




CHAPTER II. 

PAST SCENES — ATTRACTIONS OF CEYLON — EMIGRATION — DIFFI- 
CULTIES IN SETTLING — ACCIDENTS AND CASUALTIES — AN 
ECCENTRIC GROOM — INSUBORDINATION — COMMENCEMENT 
OF CULTIVATION — SAGACITY OF THE ELEPHANT — DISAP- 
POINTMENTS — " DEATH " IN THE SETTLEMENT — SHOCKING 
PASTURAGE — SUCCESS OF EMIGRANTS — "A GOOD KNOCK- 
ABOUT KIND OF A WIFE." 

I HAD not been long in England before I discovered 
that my trip to Ceylon had only served to upset all 
ideas of settling down quietly at home. Scenes of 
former sports and places were continually intruding 
themselves upon my thoughts, and I longed to be once 
more roaming at large with the rifle through the noise- 
less wildernesses in Ceylon. So delightful were the 
recollections of past incidents that I could scarcely 
believe that it lay within my power to renew them. 
Ruminating over all that had happened within the past 
year, I conjured up localities to my memory which 
seemed too attractive to have existed in reality. I wan- 
dered along London streets, comparing the noise and 
bustle with the deep solitudes of Ceylon, and I felt like 
the sickly plants in a London parterre. I wanted the 
change to my former life. I constantly found myself 
gazing into gunmakers' shops, and these I sometimes 
entered abstractedly to examine some rifle exposed in 

3 25 



26 Eight Tears' Wandering's in Ceylon. 

the window. Often have I passed an hour in boring 
the unfortunate gunmakers to death by my suggestions 
for various improvements in rifles and guns, which, as 
I was not a purchaser, must have been extremely 
edifying. 

Time passed, and the moment at length arrived when 
I decided once more to see Ceylon. I determined to 
become a settler at Newera Ellia, where I could reside 
in a perfect climate, and nevertheless enjoy the sports 
of the low countr}' at my own will. 

Thus, the recovery from a fever in Ceylon was the 
hidden cause of my settlement at Newera Ellia. The 
infatuation for sport, added to a gypsy-like love of wan- 
dering and complete independence, thus dragged me 
away from home and from a much-loved circle. 

In my determination to reside at Newera Ellia, I 
hoped to be able to carry out some of those visionary 
plans for its improvement which I have before sug- 
gested ; and I trusted to be enabled to effect such a 
change in the rough face of Nature in that locality as 
to render a residence at Newera Ellia something ap- 
proaching to a country life in England, with the advan- 
tage of the whole of Ceylon for my manor, and no 
expense of gamekeepers. 

To carry out these ideas it was necessary to set to 
work ; and I determined to make a regular settlement 
at Newera Ellia, sanguinely looking forward to estab- 
lishing a little English village around my own resi- 
dence. 

Accordingly, I purchased an extensive tract of land 
from the government, at twenty shillings per acre. I 
engaged an excellent bailiff*, who, with his wife and 
daughter, with nine other emigrants, including a black- 



Emigration, 27 

smith, were to sail for my intended settlement in 
Ceylon, 

I purchased farming implements of the most im- 
proved descriptions, seeds of all kinds, saw-mills, etc., 
etc., and the following stock : A half-bred bull (Dur- 
ham and Hereford), a well-bred Durham cow, three 
rams (a Southdown, Leicester and Cotswold), and a 
thorough-bred entire horse by Charles XII. ; also a 
small pack of foxhounds and a favorite greyhound 
("Bran"). 

My brother had determhied to accompany me; and 
with emigrants, stock, machinery, hounds, and our re 
spective families, the good ship " Earl of Hardwick," 
belonging to Messrs. Green & Co., sailed from London 
in September, 1848. I had previously left England by 
the overland mail of August to make arrangements at 
Newera Ellia for the reception of the whole party. 

I had as much difficulty in making up my mind to 
the proper spot for the settlement as Noah's dove ex- 
perienced in its flight from the ark. However, I 
wandered over the neighboring plains and jungles of 
Newera Ellia, and at length I stuck my walking-stick 
into the ground where the gentle undulations of the 
country would allow the use of the plough. Here, 
then, was to be the settlement. 

I had chosen the spot at the eastern extremity of the 
Newera Ellia plain, on the verge of the sudden descent 
toward Badulla. This position was two miles and a 
half from Newera Ellia, and was far more agreeable 
and better adapted for a settlement, the land being com- 
paratively level and not shut in by mountains. 

It was in the dreary month of October, when the 
south-west monsoon howls in all its fury across the 



28 Eight Tears* Wandering's in Ceylon. 

mountains ; the mist boiled up from the valleys and 
swept along the surface of the plains, obscuring the 
view of everything, except the pattering rain, which de- 
scended without ceasing day or night. Every sound 
was hushed, save that of the elements and the distant 
murmuring roar of countless w^aterfalls ; not a bird 
chirped, the dank white lichens hung from the branches 
of the trees, and the wretchedness of the place was be- 
yond description. 

I found it almost impossible to persuade the natives 
to work in such weather ; and it being absolutely 
necessary that cottages should be built with the greatest 
expedition, I was obliged to offer an exorbitant rate 
of wages. 

In about fortnight, however, the wind and rain 
showed flags of truce in the shape of white clouds set 
in a blue sky. The gale ceased, and the skylarks 
warbled high in air, giving life and encouragement to 
the whole scene. It was like a beautiful cool mid- 
summer in England. 

I had about eighty men at work ; and the constant 
click-clack of axes, the falling of trees, the noise of 
saws and hammers and the perpetual chattering of 
coolies gave a new character to the wild spot upon 
which I had fixed. 

The work proceeded rapidly ; neat white cottages 
soon appeared in the forest ; and I expected to have 
everything in readiness for the emigrants on their 
arrival. I rented a tolerably good house in Newera 
EUia, and so far everything had progressed well. 

The "Earl of Hardwick" arrived after a prosperous 
voyage, with passengers and stock all in sound health ; 
the only casualty on board had been to one of the hounds. 



Accidents and Casualtie^i t^ 

In a few days all started from Colombo for Newera 
EUia. The only trouble was, How to get the cow up ? 
She was a beautiful beast, a thorough-bred "short 
horn," and she weighed about thirteen hundredweight. 
She was so fat that a march of one hundred and fifteen 
miles in a tropical climate was impossible. Accord- 
ingly a van was arranged for her, which the maker as- 
sured me would carry an elephant. But no sooner had 
the cow entered it than the whole thing came down 
with a crash, and the cow made her exit through the 
bottom. She was therefore obliged to start on foot in 
company with the bull, sheep, horse and hounds, 
orders being given that ten miles a day, divided be- 
tween morning and evening, should be the maximum 
march during the journey. 

The emigrants started per coach, while our party 
drove up in a new clarence which I had brought from 
England. I mention this, as its untimely end will be 
shortly seen. 

Four government elephant-carts started with ma- 
chinery, farming implements, etc., etc., while a troop 
of bullock-bandies carried the lighter goods. I had a 
tame elephant waiting at the foot of the Newera Ellia 
Pass to assist in carrying up the baggage and maid- 
servants. 

There had been a vast amount of trouble in making 
all the necessary arrangements, but the start was com- 
pleted, and at length we were all fairly off. 

In an enterprise of this kind many disappointments 
were necessarily to be expected, and I had prepared 
myself with the patience of Job for anything that 
might happen. It was well that I had done so, for it 
was soon put to the test. 

3 » - _ 



30 Might Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

Having reached Rambodde, at the foot of the 
Newera Ellia Pass, in safety, I found that the carriage 
was so heavy that the horses were totally unable to as- 
cend the pass. I therefore left it at the rest-house 
while we rode up the fifteen miles to Newera Ellia, in- 
tending to send for the empty vehicle in a few days. 

The whole party of emigrants and ourselves reached 
Newera Ellia in safety. On the following day I sent 
down the groom with a pair of horses to bring up the 
carriage ; at the same time I sent down the elephant to 
bring some luggage from Rambodde. 

Now this groom, " Henry Perkes," was one of the 
emigrants,* and he was not exactly the steadiest of the 
party ; I therefore cautioned him to be very careful in 
driving up the pass, especially in crossing the narrow 
bridges and turning the corners. He started on his 
mission. 

The next day a dirty-looking letter was put in my 
hand by a native, which, being addressed to me, ran 
something in this style : 

"Honor* Zur 

" I'm sorry to hinform you that the carrige and osses has met with 
a haccidint and is tumbled down a preccippice and its a mussy as I 
didn't go too. The preccippice isn't very deep bein not above heighty 
feet or therabouts — the bosses is got up but is very bad — the carrige 

lies on its back and we can't stir it nohow. M'. is very kind, 

and has lent above a hunderd niggers, but they aint no more use than 
cats at liftin. Plese Zur come and see whats to be done. 

" Your Humbel Serv', 

" H. Perkes." 

This was pleasant, certainly — a new carriage and a 
pair of fine Australian horses smashed before they 
reached Newera Ellia I 



String of Accidents, 31 

This was, however, the commencement of a chapter 
of accidents. I went down the pass, and there, sure 
enough, I had a fine bird's-eye view of the carriage 
down a precipice on the road side. One horse was so 
injured that it was necessary to destroy him ; the other 
died a few days after. Perkes had been intoxicated ; 
and, while driving at a full gallop round a corner, over 
went the carriages and horses. 

On my return to Newera Ellia, I found a letter in- 
forming me that the short-horn cow had halted at Am- 
berpuss6, thirty-seven miles from Colombo, dangerously 
ill. The next morning another letter informed me that 
she was dead. This was a sad loss after the trouble of 
bringing so fine an animal from England ; and I re- 
gretted her far more than both carriage and horses 
together, as my ideas for breeding some thorough-bred 
stock were for the present extinguished. 

There is nothing like one misfortune for breeding 
another ; and what with the loss of carriage, horses 
and cow, the string of accidents had fairly commenced. 
The carriage still lay inverted ; and although a tolerable 
specimen of a smash, I determined to pay a certain 
honor to its remains by not allowing it to lie and rot 
upon the ground. Accordingly, I sent the blacksmith 
with a gang of men, and Perkes was ordered to accom- 
pany the party. I also sent the elephant to assist in 
hauling the body of the carriage up the precipice. 

Perkes, having been much more accustomed to riding 
than walking during his career as groom, was deter- 
mined to ride the elephant down the pass ; and he 
accordingly mounted, insisting at the same time that 
the mohout should put the animal into a trot. In vain 
the man remonstrated, and explained that such a pace 



32 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon. 

would injure the elephant on a journey ; threats pre- 
vailed, and the beast was soon swinging along at fuli 
trot, forced on by the sharp driving-hook, with the 
delighted Perkes striding across its neck, riding an im- 
aginary race. 

On the following day the elephant-driver appeared at 
the front door, but without the elephant. I immediately 
foreboded some disaster, which was soon explained. 
Mr. Perkes had kept up the pace for fifteen miles, to 
Rambodde, when, finding that the elephant was not 
required, he took a little refreshment in the shape of 
brandy and wa^jr, and then, to use his own expression, 
" tooled the old elephant along till he came to a stand- 
still." 

He literally forced the poor beast up the steep pass 
for seven miles, till it fell down and shortly after died. 

Mr. Perkes was becoming an expensive man : a most 
sagacious and tractable elephant was now added to his 
list of victims ; and he had the satisfaction of knowing 
that he was one of the few men in the world who had 
ridden an elephant to death. 

That afternoon, Mr. Perkes was being wheeled about 
the bazaar in a wheelbarrow, insensibly drunk, by a 
brother emigrant, who was also considerably elevated. 
Perkes had at some former time lost an eye by the kick 
of a horse, and to conceal the disfigurement he wore a 
black patch, which gave him very much the expression 
of a bull terrier with a similar mark. Notwithstand- 
ing this disadvantage in appearance, he was perpetu- 
ally making successful love to the maid-servants, and 
he was altogether the most incorrigible scamp that I 
ever met with, although I must do him the justice to 
siy he was thoroughly honest and industrious. 



Commencement of Cultivation* 33 

I shortly experienced great trouble with the emi- 
grants ; they could not agree with the bailiff, and openly 
defied his authority. I was obliged to send two of 
them to jail as an example to the others. This pro- 
duced the desired effect, and we shortly got regularly 
to work. 

There were now about a hundred and fifty natives 
employed in the tedious process of exterminating jungle 
and forest, not felling, but regularly digging out every 
tree and root, then piling and burning the mass, and 
leveling the cleared land in a state to receive the 
plough. This was very expensive work, amounting to 
about thirty pounds per acre. The root of a large tree 
would frequently occupy three men a couple of days in 
its extraction, which, at the rate of wages, at one shil- 
ling per diem, was very costly. The land thus cleared 
was a light sandy loam, about eighteen inches in depth, 
with a gravel subsoil, and was considered to be far 
superior to the patina (or natural grass-land) soil, which 
was, in appearance, black loam on the higher ground, 
and of a peaty nature in the swamps. 

The bailiff (Mr. Fowler) was of opinion that the 
patina soil was the best ; therefore, while the large 
native force was engaged in sweeping the forest from 
the surface, operations were commenced according to 
agricultural rules upon the patinas. 

A tract of land known as the " Moon Plains," com- 
pijsing about two hundred acres, was immediately 
commenced upon. As some persons considered the 
settlement at Newera EUia the idea of a lunatic, the 
" ]^>Ioon Plain" was an appropriate spot for the experi- 
ment. A tolerably level field of twenty acres was 
fenced in, and the work begun by firing the patina and 

C 



34 Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

burning off all the grass. Then came three teams, as 
follows : 

Lord Ducie's patent cultivator, drawn by an ele- 
phant ; a skim, drawn by another elephant, and a long 
wood plough, drawn by eight bullocks. 

The field being divided into three sections, was thus 
quickly pared of the turf, the patent cultivator working 
admirably, and easily drawn by the elephant. 

The weather being veiy dry and favorable for the 
work, the turf was soon ready for burning ; and being 
piled in long rows, much trouble was saved in subse- 
quently spreading the ashes. This being completed, 
we had six teams at work, two horse, two bullock, and 
two elephant ; and the ploughing was soon finished. 
The whole piece was then sown with oats. 

It was an interesting sight to see the rough plain 
yielding to the power of agricultural implements, es- 
pecially as some of these implements were drawn by 
animals not generally seen in plough harness at home. 

The " cultivator," which was sufficiently large to 
anchor any twenty of the small native bullocks, looked 
a mere nothing behind the splendid elephant who 
worked it, and it cut through the wiry roots of the rank 
turf as a knife peels an apple. It was amusing to see 
this same elephant doing the work of three separate 
teams when the seed was in the ground. She first 
drew a pair of heavy harrows ; attached to these and 
following behind were a pair of light harrows, and 
behind these came a roller. Thus the land had its 
first and second harrowing at the same time with the 
rolling. 

This elephant was particularly sagacious ; and her 
farming work being completed, she v^as employed in 



Sagacity of the Elephant, 35 

making a dam across a stream. She was a very large 
animal, and it jvas beautiful to witness her wonderful 
sagacity in carrying and arranging the heavy timber 
required. The rough trunks of trees from the lately 
felled forest were lying within fifty yards of the spot, 
and the trunks required for the dam were about fifteen 
feet long and fourteen to eighteen inches in diameter. 
These she carried in her mouthy shifting her hold 
along the log before she raised it until she had obtained 
the exact balance ; then, steadying it with her trunk, 
she carried every log to the spot, and laid them across 
the stream in parallel rows. These she herself ar- 
ranged, under the direction of her driver, with the 
reason apparently of a human being. 

The most extraordinary part of her performance was 
the arranging of two immense logs of red keenar (one 
of the heaviest woods). These were about eighteen 
feet long and two feet in diameter, and they were in- 
tended to lie on either bank of the stream, parallel to 
the brook and close to the edge. These she placed 
with the greatest care in their exact positions, unassisted 
by any one.* She rolled them gently over with her 
head, then w^ith one foot, and keeping her trunk on the 
opposite side of the log, she checked its way whenever 
its own momentum would have carried it into the 
stream. Although I thought the work admirably done, 
she did not seem quite satisfied, and she presently got 
into the stream, and gave one end of the log an extra 
push with her head, which completed her task, the two 
trees lying exactly parallel to each other, close to the 
edge of either bank. 

Tame elephants are constantly employed in building 
* Directed of course by her driver. 



36 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon, 

stone bridges, when the stones required for the abut- 
ments are too heavy to be managed by crowbars. 

Many were the difficulties to contend against when 
the first attempts were made in agriculture at Newera 
EUia. No sooner were the oats a few inches above 
ground than they were subjected to the nocturnal visits 
of elk and hogs in such numbers that they were almost 
wholly destroyed. 

A crop of potatoes of about three acres on the newly- 
cleared forest land was totally devoured by grubs. The 
bull and stock were nearly starved on the miserable 
pasturage of the country, and no sooner had the clover 
sprung up in the new clearings than the Southdown 
ram got hoven upon it and died. The two remaining 
rams, not having been accustomed to much high living 
since their arrival at Newera EUia, got pugnacious 
upon the clover, and in a pitched battle the Leicester 
ram killed the Cotswold, and remained solus. An 
epidemic appeared among the cattle, and twenty-six 
fine bullocks died within a few days ; five Australian 
horses died during the first year, and everything seemed 
to be going into the next world as fast as possible. 

Having made up my mind to all manner of disap- 
pointments, these casualties did* not make much impres- 
sion on me, and the loss of a few crops at the outset 
was to be expected ; but at length a deplorable and un- 
expected event occurred. 

The bailiff''s family consisted of a wife and daughter ; 
the former was the perfection of a respectable farmei*'s 
wife, whose gentle manners and amiable disposition 
had gained her many friends ; the daughter was a very 
pretty girl of nineteen. 

For some time Mrs. Fowler had been suffering from 



Natural Pasturag-e. 37 

an illness of long standing, and I was suddenly called 
to join in the mournful procession to her grave. This 
was indeed a loss which I deeply deplored. 

At length death left the little settlement, and a ray 
of sunshine shone through the gloom which would 
have made many despond. Fortune smiled upon every- 
thing. Many acres of forest were cleared, and the 
crops succeeded each other in rapid succession. I had, 
however, made the discovery that without manure 
nothing' would thrive. This had been a great disap- 
pointment, as much difficulty lay in procuring the ne- 
cessary item. 

Had the natural pasturage been good, it would soon 
have been an easy matter to procure any amount of 
manure by a corresponding number of cattle ; but, as it 
happened, the natural pasturage was so bad that no 
beast could thrive upon it. Thus everything, even 
grass-land, had to be manured ; and, fortunately, a 
cargo of guano having arrived in the island, we were 
enabled to lay down some good clover and seeds. 

The original idea of cultivation, driving the forests 
from the neighborhood of Newera EUia, was therefore 
dispelled. Every acre of land must be manured, and 
upon a large scale at Newera Ellia that is impossible. 
With manure everything will thrive to perfection with 
the exception of wheat. There is neither lime nor 
magnesia in the soil. An abundance of silica throws 
a good crop of straw, but the grain is wanting : Indian 
corn will not form grain from the same cause. On the 
other hand, peas, beans, turnips, carrots, cabbages, etc., 
produce crops as heavy as those of England. Potatoes, 
being the staple article of production, are principally 
cultivated, as the price of twenty pounds per ton yields 



38 Eight Tear^ Wanderings in Ceylon, 

a large profit. These, however, do not produce larger 
crops than from four to six tons per acre when heavily 
manured ; but as the crop is fit to dig in three months 
from the day of planting, money is quickly made. 

There are many small farmers, or rather gardeners, 
at Newera EUia who have succeeded uncommonly 
well. One of the emigrants who left my service re- 
turned to England in three years with three hundred 
pounds ; and all the industrious people succeed. I am 
now without one man whom I brought out. The 
bailiff farms a little land of his own, and his pretty 
daughter is married ; the others are scattered here and 
there, but I believe all are doing well, especially the 
blacksmith, upon whose anvil Fortune has smiled most 
kindly. 

By the bye, that same blacksmith has the right stamp 
of a "better half" for an emigrant's wife. According 
to his own description she is a "good knock- about 
kind of a wife." I recollect seeing her, during a press 
of work, rendering assistance to her Vulcan in a man- 
ner worthy of a Cyclop's spouse. She was wielding 
an eighteen-pound sledgehammer, sending the sparks 
flying at every blow upon the hot iron, and making the 
anvil ring again, while her husband turned the metal 
at every stroke, as if attending on Nasmyth's patent 
steam hammer. 

It has been a great satisfaction to me that all the 
people whom I brought out are doing well ; even 
Henry Perkes, of elephant-jockeying notoriety, is, I be- 
lieve, prospering as a groom in Madras. 



CHAPTER III. 

TASK COMPLETED — THE MOUNTAIN-TOP— CHANGE IN THE FACK 
OF NATURE — ORIGINAL IMPORTANCE OF NEWERA ELLIA — 
"THE PATH OF A THOUSAND PRINCES" — VESTIGES OF 
FORMER POPULATION — MOUNTAINS — THE HIGHLANDS OF 
OUVA — ANCIENT METHODS OF IRRIGATION — REMAINS OF 
AqUEDUCTS — THE VALE OF RUBIES — ANCIENT OPHIR — 
DISCOVERY OF GOLD — MINERAL RESOURCES — NATIVE 
BLACKSMITHS. 

IN a climate like that of Newera Ellia, even twelve 
months make a great change in the appearance of 
a new settlement ; plants and shrubs spring up with 
wonderful rapidity, and a garden of one year's growth, 
without attendance, would be a wilderness. 

A few years necessarily made a vast change in 
everything. All kinds of experiments had been made, 
and those which succeeded were persevered in. I dis- 
covered that excellent beer might be made at this 
elevation (six thousand two hundred feet), and I ac- 
cordingly established a small brewery. 

The solitary Leicester ram had propagated a numer- 
ous family, and a flock of fat ewes, with their lambs, 
throve to perfection. Many handsome young heifers 
looked very like the emigrant bull in the face, and 
clairfled their parentage. The fields were green ; the 
axe no longer sounded in the forests ; a good house 

S9 



40 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon, 

stood in the centre of cultivation ; a road of two miles 
in length cut through the estate, and the whole place 
looked like an adopted ''home." All the trials and 
disappointments of the beginning were passed away, 
and the real was a picture which I had ideally con- 
templated years before. The task was finished. 

In the interim, public improvements had not been 
neglected ; an extremely prett}^ church had been erected, 
and a public reading-room established ; but, with the 
exception of one good house which had been built, pri- 
vate enterprise had lain dormant. As usual, from Jan- 
uary to May, Newera Ellia was overcrowded with 
visitors, and nearly empty during the other months of 
the year. 

All Ceylon people dread the wet season at Newera 
Ellia, which continues from June to December. 

I myself prefer it to what is termed the dry season, 
at which time the country is burnt up by drought. 
There is never more rain at Newera Ellia than vegeta- 
tion requires, and not one-fourth the quantity falls at 
this elevation, compared to that of the low country. It 
may be more continuous, but it is of a lighter character, 
and more akin to " Scotch mist." The clear days 
during the wet season are far more lovely than the con- 
stant glare of the summer months, and the rays of the 
sun are not so powerful. 

There cannot be a more beautiful sight than the 
view of sunrise from the summit of Pedrotallagalla, the 
highest mountain in Ceylon, which, rising to the height 
of 8300 feet, looks down upon Newera Ellia, some two 
thousand feet below upon one side, and upon the inter- 
minable depths of countless ravines and valleys at its 
base. 



The Mountain -Top. 41 

There is a feeling approaching the sublime when a 
solitary man thus stands upon the highest point of earth, 
before the dawn of day, and waits the first rising of the 
sun. Nothing above him but the dusky arch of heaven. 
Nothing on his level but empty space, — all beneath, 
deep beneath his feet. From childhood he has looked 
to heaven as the dwelling of the Almighty, and he now 
stands upon that lofty summit in the silence of utter 
solitude ; his hand, as he raises it above his head, the 
highest mark upon the sea-girt land ; his form above 
all mortals upon this land, the nearest to his God. 
Words, till now unthought of, tingle in his ears : " He 
went up into a mountain apart to pray." He feels the 
spirit which prompted the choice of such a lonely spot, 
and he stiinds instinctively uncovered, as the first ray 
of light Spreads like a thread of fire across the sky. 

And now the distant hill-tops, far below, struggle 
through the snowy sheet of mist, like islands in a fairy 
sea ; and far, how far his eye can scan, where the faint 
line upon the horizon marks the ocean ! Mountain 
and valley, hill and plain, with boundless forest, stretch 
beneath his feet, far as his sight can gaze, and the scene, 
so solemnly beautiful, gradually wakens to his senses ; 
the birds begin to chirp ; the dew-drops fall heavily 
from the trees, as the light breeze stirs from an apparent 
sleep ; a golden tint spreads over the sea of mist below ; 
the rays dart lightning-like upon the eastern sky ; the 
mighty orb rises in all the fullness of his majesty, recall- 
ing the words of Omnipotence : " Let there be light !" 

The sun is risen ! the misty sea below mounts like a 

snowy wreath around the hill-tops, and then, like a 

passing thought, it vanishes. A glassy clearness of the 

atmosphere reveals the magnificent view of Nature, 

4* 



42 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

fresh from her sleep ; every dewy leaf gilded by the 
morning sun, every rock glistening with moisture in his 
bright rays, mountain and valley, wood and plain, alike 
rejoicing in his beams. 

And now, the sun being risen, we gaze from our 
lofty post upon Newera Ellia, lying at our feet. We 
trace the river winding its silvery course through the 
plain, and for many miles the alternate plains and 
forests joining in succession. 

How changed are some features of the landscape 
within the few past years, and how wonderful the 
alteration made by man on the face of Nature ! Com- 
paratively but a few years ago, Newera Ellia was un- 
discovered — a secluded plain among the mountain- 
tops, tenanted by the elk and boar. The wind swept 
over it, and the mists hung around the mountains, and 
the bright summer with its spotless sky succeeded, but 
still it was unknown and unseen except by the native 
bee-hunter in his rambles for wild honey. How 
changed ! The road encircles the plain, and carts are 
busy in removing the produce of the land. Here, 
where wild forests stood, are gardens teeming with 
English flowers ; rosy-faced children and ruddy coun- 
trymen are about the cottage doors ; equestrians of both 
sexes are galloping round the plain, and the cry of the 
hounds is ringing on the mountain-side. 

How changed ! There is an old tree standing upon 
a hill, whose gnarled trunk has been twisted by the 
winter's wind for many an age, and so screwed is its 
old stem that the axe has spared it, out of pity, when 
its companions were all swept away and the forest 
felled. And many a tale that old tree could tell of 
winter's blasts and broken boughs, and storms which 



Change in the Pace of Nature. 43 

howled above its head, when all was wilderness around. 
The eagle has roosted in its top, the monkeys have 
gamboled in its branches, and the elephants have rub- 
bed their tough flanks against its stem in times gone 
by ; but it now throws a shadow upon a Christian's 
grave, and the churchyard lies beneath its shade. 
The church-bell sounds where the elephant trumpeted 
of yore. The sunbeam has penetrated where the forest 
threw its dreary shade, and a ray of light has shone 
through the moral darkness of the spot. 

The completion of the church is the grand improve- 
ment in Newera Ellia. 

Although Newera Ellia was in the wild state de- 
scribed when first discovered by Europeans, it is not to 
be supposed that its existence was unknown to the Cin- 
galese. The name itself proves its former importance 
to the kings of Kandy, as Newera Ellia signifies " Royal 
Plains." Kandy is termed by the Cingalese " Newera," 
as it was the capital of Ceylon and the residence of 
the king. 

However wild the country may be, and in many 
portions unvisited by Europeans, still every high moun- 
tain and every little plain in this wilderness of forest is 
not only known to the natives of the adjacent low country, 
but has its separate designation. There is no feature 
of the country without its name, although the immense 
tracts of mountain are totally uninhabited, and the 
nearest villages are some ten or twelve miles distant, 
between two and three thousand feet below. 

There are native paths from village to village across 
the mountains, which, although in appearance no more 
than deer-runs, have existed for many centuries, and are 
used by the natives even to this day. The great r?«KSJe 



44 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

of forest-covered Newera Ellia mountains divides tne 
two districts of Ouva and Kotmalie, and these native 
paths have been formed to connect the two by an ardu- 
ous accent upon either side, and a comparatively level 
cut across the shoulders of the mountains, through 
alternate plain and forest, for some twenty-five miles. 
These paths would never be known to Europeans were 
it not for the distant runs of the hounds, in following 
which, after some hours of fatiguing jungle- work, I 
have coine upon a path. The notches on the tree- 
stems have proved its artificial character, and by fol- 
lowing its course I have learnt the country. 

There is not a path, stream, hill, or plain, within 
many miles of Newera Ellia, that I do not know inti- 
mately, although, when the character of the country is 
scanned by a stranger from some mountain-top, the 
very act of traversing it appears impossible. This 
knowledge has been gained by years of unceasing 
hunting, and by perseveringly following up the hounds 
wherever they have gone. From sunrise till nightfall I 
have often ploughed along through alternate jungles 
and plains, listening eagerly for the cry of the hounds, 
and at length discovering portions of the country which 
I had never known to exist. 

There- is a great pleasure in thus working out the 
features of a wild country, especially in an island like 
Ceylon, which, in every portion, exhibits traces of 
former prosperit}^ and immense population. Even these 
uninhabited and chilly regions, up to an elevation of 
seven thousand feet, are not blank pages in the book of 
Nature, but the hand of man is so distinctly traced 
that the keen observer can read with tolerable, certainty 
the existence of a nation long since passed away. 



Original Importance of Newera Ellia. 45 

As I before mentioned, I pitched my settlement on 
^e verge of the highland, at the eastern extremity of 
the Newera Ellia plain, where the high road com- 
mences a sudden descent toward BaduUa, thirty-three 
miles distant. This spot, forming a shallow gap, was 
the ancient native entrance to Newera Ellia from that 
side, and the Cingalese designation for the locality is 
interpreted " the Path of a Thousand Princes." This 
name assists in the proof that Newera Ellia was for- 
merly of some great importance. A far more enticing 
name gives an interest to the first swampy portion of 
the plain, some three hundred paces beyond, viz., " the 
Valley of Rubies." 

Now, having plainly discovered that Newera Ellia 
was of some great importance to the natives, let us 
consider in what that value consisted. There are no 
buildings remaining, no ruins, as in other parts of 
Ceylon, but a liquid mine of wealth poured from these 
lofty regions. The importance of Newera Ellia lay 
first in its SLipply of water^ and, secondl}^, in its gems. 

In all tropical countries the first principle of cultiva- 
tion is the supply of water, without which the land 
would remain barren. In a rice-growing country like 
Ceylon, the periodical rains are insufficient, and the 
whole system of native agriculture depends upon irri- 
gation. Accordingly, the mountains being the reser- 
voirs from which the rivers spring, become of vital im- 
portance to the country. 

The principal mountains in Ceylon are Pedrotalla- 
galla, eight thousand two hundred and eighty feet ; 
Kirigallapotta, seven thousand nine hundred ; Tota- 
pella, eight thousand feet; and Adam's Peak, seven 
thousand seven hundred ; but although their altitude is 



46 EigJit Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

so considerable, they do not give the idea of grandeur 
which such an altitude would convey. They do not 
rise abruptly from a level base, but they are merely the 
loftiest of a thousand peaks towering from the highlands 
of Ceylon. 

The greater portion of the highland district may 
therefore be compared to one vast mountain ; hill piled 
upon hill, and peak rising over peak ; ravines of im- 
mense depth, forming innumerable conduits for the 
mountain torrents. Then, at the elevation of Newera 
Ellia the heavings of the land appear to have rested, 
and gentle undulations, diversified by plains and forests, 
extend for some thirty miles. From these compara- 
tively level tracts and swampy plains the rivers of 
Ceylon derive their source and the three loftiest peaks 
take their base ; Pedrotallagalla rising from the Newera 
Ellia Plain, " Totapella" and Kirigallapotta from the 
Horton Plains. 

The whole of the highland district is thus composed 
of a succession of ledges of great extent at various ele- 
vations, commencing with the highest, the Horton 
Plains, seven thousand feet above the sea. 

Seven hundred feet below the Horton Plain, the 
Totapella Plains and undulating forests continue at 
this elevation as far as Newera Ellia for about twenty 
miles, thus forming the second ledge. 

Six miles to the west of Newera Ellia, at a lower 
elevation of about nine hundred feet, the district of 
Dimboola commences, and extends at this elevation 
over a vast tract of forest-covered country, stretching 
still farther to the west, and containing a small pro- 
portion of plain. 

At about the same elevation, nine miles on the 



The Highlands of Ouva, 47 

north of Newera Ellia, we descend to the Elephant 
Plains ; a beautiful tract of fine grass country, but of 
small extent. This tract and that of Dimboola form 
the third ledge. 

Nine miles to the east of Newera Ellia, at a lower 
elevation of one thousand five hundred feet, stretches 
the Ouva country, forming the fourth ledge. 

The features of this country are totally distinct from 
any other portion of Ceylon. A magnificent view ex- 
tends as far as the horizon, of undulating open grass- 
land, diversified by the rich crops of paddy which are 
grown in each of the innumerable small valleys formed 
by the undulations of the ground. Not a tree is to be 
seen except the low brushwood which is scantily dis- 
tributed upon its surface. We emerge suddenly from 
the forest-covered mountains of Newera Ellia, and, 
from a lofty point on the high road to Badulla, we look 
down upon the splendid panorama stretched like a 
waving sea beneath our feet. The road upon which 
we^stand is scarped out of the mountain's side. The 
forest has ceased, dying off* gradually into isolated 
patches and long ribbon-like strips on the sides of the 
mountain, upon which rich grass is growing, in vivid 
contrast to the rank and coarse herbage of Newera 
Ellia, distant only five miles from the point upon which 
we stand. 

Descending until we reach Wilson's Plain, nine 
miles from Newera Ellia, we arrive in the district of 
Ouva, as much like the Sussex Downs as any place to 
which it can be compared. 

This district comprises about six hundred square 
miles, and forms the fourth and last ledge of the high- 
lands of Ceylon. Passes from the mountains which 



48 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon, 

form the wall-like boundaries of this table-land descend 
to the low country in various directions. 

The whole of the Ouva district upon the one side, 
and of the Kotmalee district on the other side, of the 
Newera Ellia range of mountains, are, with the excep- 
tion of the immediate neighborhood of Kandy and 
Colombo, the most populous districts of Ceylon. 

This is entirely owing to the never-failing supply of 
water obtained from the mountains; and upon this 
supply the wealth and prosperity of the country depend. 

The ancient history of Ceylon is involved in much 
obscurity, but nevertheless we have sufficient data in 
the existing traces of its former population to form our 
opinions of the position and power which Ceylon oc- 
cupied in the Eastern Hemisphere when England was 
in a state of barbarism. The wonderful remains of 
ancient cities, tanks and water-courses throughout the 
island all prove that the now desolate regions were 
tenanted by a multitude — not of savages, but of a race 
long since passed away, full of industry and intelli- 
gence. 

Among the existing traces of former population few 
are more interesting than those in the vicinity of 
Newera Ellia. 

Judging from the present supply of water required 
for the cultivation of a district containing a certain pop- 
ulation, we can arrive at a tolerably correct idea of the 
former population by comparing the present supply of 
water with that formerly required. 

Although the district of Ouva is at present well pop- 
ulated, and every hollow is taken advantage of for the 
cultivation of paddy, still the demand for water in pro- 
portion to the supply is comparatively small. 



Ancient Methods of Irrigatlo7i. 49 

• 

The system of irrigation has necessarily involved 
immense labor. For many miles the water is con- 
ducted from the mountains through dense forests, across 
ravines, round the steep sides of opposing hills, novsr 
leaping into a lower valley into a reservoir, from which 
it is again led through this arduous country until it at 
length reaches the land which it is destined to render 
fertile. 

There has been a degree of engineering skill dis- 
played in forming aqueducts through such formidable 
obstacles ; the hills 'are lined out in every direction with 
these proofs of Industry, and their winding course can 
be traced round the grassy sides of the steep moun- 
tains, while the paddy-fields are seen miles away in the 
valleys of Ouva stretched far beneath. 

At least eight out of ten of these water-courses are 
dry, and the masonry required in the sudden angles 
of ravines, has, in most cases, fallen to decay. Even 
those water-courses still in existence are of the second 
class ; small streams have been conducted from their 
original course, and these serve for the supply of the 
present population. 

From the remains of deserted water-courses of the 
first class, it is evident that more than fifty times the 
volume of water was then required that Is in use at 
present, and in the same ratio must have been the 
amount of population. 

In those days rivers were diverted from their natural 
channels ; opposing hills were cut through, and the 
waters thus were led into another valley to join a stream 
flowing in its natural bed, whose course, eventually ob- 
structed by a dam, poured its accumulated waters into 
canals which branched to various localities. Not a 
6 D 



50 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon. 

river in those times flowed in vain. The hill-sides 
were terraced out in beautiful cultivation, which are 
now waving with wild vegetation and rank lemon 
grass. The remaining traces of stone walls point out 
the ancient boundaries far above the secluded valleys 
now in cultivation. 

The nation has vanished, and with it the industry 
and perseverance of the era. 

We now arrive at the cause of the former importance 
of Newera Ellia, or the " Royal Plains." 

It has been shown that the very existence of the pop 
ulation depended upon the supply of water, and that 
supply was obtained from the neighborhood of Newera 
Ellia. Therefore, a king in possession of Newera Ellia 
had the most complete command over his subjects ; he 
could either give or withhold the supply of water at 
his pleasure, by allowing its free exit or by altering its 
course. 

Thus, during rebellion, he could stai-ve his people 
into submission, or lay waste the land in time of for- 
eign invasion. I have seen in an impregnable position 
the traces of an ancient fort, evidently erected to de- 
fend the pass to the main water-course from the low 
country. 

This gives us a faint clue to the probable cause of 
the disappearance of the nation. 

In time of war or intestine commotion, the water 
may have been cut off from the low country, and the 
exterminating effects of famine may have laid the 
whole land desolate. 

It is, therefore, no longer a matter of astonishment 
that the present plain of Newera Ellia should have 
received its appellation of the " Royal Plain." In 



The Vale of Rubies. 51 

those days there was no very secure tenure to the 
throne, and by force alone could a king retain it. The 
more bloodthirsty and barbarous the tyrant, the more 
was he dreaded by the awe-stricken and trembling pop- 
ulation. The power of such a weapon of annihilation 
as the command of the waters may be easily conceived, 
as it invested a king with almost divine authority in 
the eyes of his subjects. 

Now there is little doubt that the existence of pre- 
cious gems at Newera Ellia may have been accidentally 
discovered in digging the numerous water-courses in 
the vicinity ; there is, however, no doubt that at some 
former period the east end of the plain, called the 
" Vale of Rubies," constituted the royal " diggings." 
That the king of Kandy did not reside at Newera Ellia 
there is little wonder, as a monarch delighting in a 
temperature of 85° Fahr. would have regarded the 
climate of a mean temperature of 60° Fahr. as we 
should that of Nova Zembla. 

We ma}^ take it for granted, therefore, that when the 
king came to Newera Ellia his visit had some object, 
and we presume that he came to look at the condition 
of his water-courses and to superintend the digging for 
precious stones ; in the same manner that Ceylon gov- 
ernors of past years visited Arippo during the pearl- 
fishing. 

The '* diggings" of the kings of Kandy must have 
been conducted on a most extensive scale. Not only 
has the Vale of Rubies been regularly turned up for 
many acres, but all the numerous plains in the vicinity 
are full of pits, some of very large size and of a depth 
varying from three to seventeen feet. The Newera 
Ellia Plain, the Moonstone Plain, the Kondapalle 



53 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon, 

Plain, the Elk Plains, the Totapella Plains, the Hor- 
ton Plains, the Bopatalava Plains, the Angara Plains 
(translated the "Diggings"), and many other? extend- 
ing over a surface of thirty miles, are all more or less 
studded by deep pits formed by the ancient searchers 
for gems, which in those days were a royal monopoly. 

It is not to be supposed that the search for gems 
would have been thus persevered in unless it was found 
to be remunerative ; but it is a curious fact that no 
Englishmen are ever to be seen at work at this em- 
ployment. The natives would still continue the search, 
were they permitted, upon the "Vale of Rubies;" but 
I warned them off on purchasing the land ; and I have 
several good specimens of gems which I have dis- 
covered by digging two feet beneath the surface. 

The surface soil being of a light, peaty quality, the 
stones, from their greater gravity, lie beneath, mixed 
with a rounded quartz gravel, which in ages past must 
have been subjected to the action of running water. 
This quartz gravel, with its mixture of gems, rests upon 
a stiff white pipe-clay. 

In this stratum of gravel an infinite number of small, 
and for the most part worthless, specimens of gems are 
found, consisting of sapphire, ruby, emerald, jacinth, 
tourmaline, chrysoberyl, zircon, cat's-eye, " moon- 
stone," and " star-stone." Occasionally a stone of 
value rewards the patient digger ; but, unless he 
thoroughly understands it, he is apt to pass over the 
gems of most value as pieces of ironstone. 

The mineralogy of Ceylon has hitherto been little 
understood. It has often been suggested as the 
" Ophir" of the time of Solomon, and doubtless, from 
its production of gems, it might deserve the name. 



Mineralogy of Ceylon, 53 

It has hitherto been the opinion of most writers on 
Ceylon that the precious metals do not exist in the 
island ; and Dr. Davy in his work makes an unquali- 
fied assertion to that effect. But from the discoveries 
recently made, I am of opinion that it exists in very 
large quantities in the mountainous districts of the 
island. 

It is amusing to see the positive assertions of a clever 
rnan upset by a few uneducated sailors. 

A few men of the latter class, who had been at the 
gold-diggings both in California and Australia, hap- 
pened to engage in a ship bound for Colombo. Upon 
arrival they obtained leave from the captain for a stroll 
on shore, and they took the road toward Kandy, and 
when about half-way it struck them, from the appear- 
ance of the rocks in the uneven bed of a river, called 
the Maha Oya, *'that gold must exist in its sands." 
They had no geological reason for this opinion ; but 
the river happened to be very like those in California 
in which they had been accustomed to find gold. They 
accordingly set to work with a tin pan to wash the 
sand, and to the astonishment of every one in Ceylon, 
and to the utter confusion of Dr. Davy's opinions, they 
actually discovered gold \ 

The quantity was small, but the men were very 
sanguine of success, and were making their prepara- 
tions for working on a more extensive scale, when they 
were all prostrated by jungle fever — 2i guardian-spirit 
of the gold at Ambepusse, which will ever effectually 
protect it from Europeans. 

They all returned to Colombo, and, when conva- 
lescent, they proceeded to Newera EUia, naturally con- 
cluding that the gold which existed in dust in the livers 
5 * 



^4 EigJit Years' Wandering's in Ceylon, 

below must be washed down from the richer stores of 
the mountains. 

Their first discovery of gold at Newera Ellia was on 
the 14th June, 1854, on the second day of their search 
in that locality. The first gold was found in the "Vale 
of Rubies." 

I had advised them to make their first search in that 
spot for this reason : that, as the precious stones had 
there settled in the largest numbers, from their superior 
gravity, it was natural to conclude that, if gold should 
exist, it would, from its gravity, be somewhere below 
the precious stones or in their vicinity. 

From the facility with which it has been discovered, 
it is impossible to form an opinion as to the quantity or 
the extent to which it will eventually be developed. 
It is equally impossible to predict the future discoveries 
which may be made of other minerals. It is well 
known that quicksilver was found at Cotta, six miles 
from Colombo, in the year i797* -"-^ was in small 
quantities, and was neglected by the government, and 
no extended search was prosecuted. The present search 
for gold may bring to light mineral resources of Ceylon 
which have hitherto lain hidden. 

The minerals proved to exist up to the present time 
are gold, quicksilver, plumbago and iron. The two 
latter are of the finest quality and in immense abun- 
dance. The rocks of Ceylon are primitive, consisting 
of granite, gneiss and quartz. Of these the two latter 
predominate. Dolomite also exists in large quantities 
up to an elevation of five thousand feet, but not beyond 
this height. 

Plumbago is disseminated throughout the whole of 
both soil and rocks in Ceylon, and may be seen cover- 



Mineral Resources. 55 

ing the surface in the drains by the road side, after a re- 
cent shower. 

It is principally found at Ratnapoora and at Belligam, 
in large, detached kidney-shaped masses, from four to 
twenty feet below the surface. The cost of digging 
and the transport are the only expenses attending it, as 
the supply is inexhaustible. Its component parts are 
nineteen of carbon and one of iron. 

It exists in such quantities in the gneiss rocks that 
upon their decomposition it is seen in bright specks 
like silver throughout. 

This gneiss rock, when in a peculiar stage of decom- 
position, has the appearance and consistency of yellow 
brick, speckled with plumbago. It exists in this state 
in immense masses, and forms a valuable building- 
stone, as it can be cut with ease to any shape required, 
and, though soft when dug, it hardens by exposure to 
the air. It has also the valuable property of with- 
standing the greatest heat ; and for furnace building it 
is superior to the best Stourbridge fire-bricks. 

The finest quality of iron is found upon the moun- 
tains in various forms, from the small iron-stone gravel 
to large masses of many tons in weight protruding 
from the earth's surface. 

So fine is that considered at Newera Ellia and the 
vicinity that the native blacksmiths have been accus- 
tomed from time immemorial to make periodical visits 
fiDr the purpose of smelting the ore. The average 
specimens of this produce about eighty per cent, of 
pure metal, even by the coarse native process of smelt- 
ing. The operations are as follows : 

Having procured the desired amount of ore, it is 



56 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

rendered as small as possible by pounding with a 
hamnaer. 

A platform is then built of clay, about six fedt in 
length by three feet in height and width. 

A small well is formed in the centre of the platform, 
about eighteen inches in depth and diameter, egg- 
shaped. 

A few inches from the bottom of this well is an air- 
passage, connected with a pipe and bellows. 

The well is then filled with alternate layers of char- 
coal and pulverized iron ore ; the fire is lighted, and 
the process of smelting commences. 

The bellows are formed of two inflated skins, like a 
double " bagpipe." Each foot of the " bellows-blowesr" 
is strapped to one skin, the pipes of the bellows being 
fixed in the air-hole of the blast. He then works the 
skins alternately by moving his feet up and down, be- 
ing assisted in this treadmill kind of labor by the elas- 
ticity of two bamboos, of eight or ten feet in length, 
the butts of which, being firmly fixed in the ground, 
enable him to retain his balance by grasping one with 
either hand. From the yielding top of each bamboo, 
a string descends attached to either big toe ; thus the 
downward pressure of each foot upon the bellows 
strains upon the bamboo top as a fish bears upon a 
fishing-rod, and the spring of the bamboo assists him in 
lifting up his leg. Without this assistance, it would 
be impossible to continue the exertion for the time re- 
quired. 

While the "bellows-blower" is thus getting up a 
blaze, another man attends upon the well, which he 
continues to feed alternately with fresh ore and a cor- 



Native Blacksmiths. 57 

responding amount of charcoal, every now and then 
throw ing in a handful of fine sand as a flux. 

The return for a whole day's puffing and blowing 
will be about twenty pounds weight of badly-smelted 
iron. This is subsequently remelted, and is eventually 
worked up into hatchets, hoes, betel-crackers, etc., etc., 
being of a superior quality to tlie best Swedish iron. 

If the native blacksmith were to value his time at 
only sixpence per diem from the day on which he first 
started for the mountains till the day that he returned 
from his iron-smelting expedition, he would find that 
his iron would have cost him rather a high price per 
hundredweight ; and if he were to make the same cal- 
culation of the value of time, he would discover that 
by the time he had completed one axe he could have 
purchased ready made, for one-third the money, an 
English tool of superior manufacture. This, however, 
is not their style of calculation. Time has no value, 
according to their crude ideas ; therefore, if they want 
an article, and can produce it without the actual outlay 
of cash, no matter how much time is expended, they 
will prefer that method of obtaining it. 

Unfortunately, the expense of transit is so heavy from 
Newera EUia to Colombo, that this valuable metal, like 
the fine timber of the forests, must remain useless. 





CHAPTER IV. 

POVERTY OF SOIL — CEYLON SUGAR — FATALITY OF CLIMATE—. 
SUPPOSED FERTILITY OF SOIL — NATIVE CULTIVATION — NE- 
GLECT OF RICE CULTIVATION — ABANDONED RESERVOIRS — 
FORMER PROSPERITY — RUINS OF CITIES — POLLANARUA — 
THE GREAT DAGOBA — ARCHITECTURAL RELICS — THE ROCK 
TEMPLE — DESTRUCTION OF POPULATION — NEGLECTED CA- 
PABILITIES — SUGGESTIONS FOR INCREASING POPULATION — 
PROGRESS OF PESTILENCE — DESERTED VILLAGES — DIFFI- 
CULTIES IN THE CULTIVATION OF RICE — DIVISION OF LABOR 
— NATIVE AGRICULTURE. 

FROM the foregoing description, the reader will 
have inferred that Newera Ellia is a delightful 
place of residence, with a mean temperature of 60° 
Fahr., abounding with beautiful views of mountain and 
plain and of boundless panoramas in the vicinity. He 
will also have discovered that, in addition to the health- 
iness of its climate, its natural resources are confined 
to its timber and mineral productions, as the soil is de- 
cidedly poor. 

The appearance of the latter has deceived every one, 
especially the black soil of the patina, which my bailiff, 
on his first arrival, declared to be excellent. Lord 
Torrington, who is well known as an agriculturist, was 
equally deceived. He was very confident in the opinion 
that " it only required draining to enable it to produce 

58 



Poverty of Soil, 59 

anything." The real fact is, that it is far inferior to the 
forest-land, and will not pay for the working. 

Nevertheless, it is my decided opinion that the gen- 
erality of the forest-land at Newera Ellia and the vicin- 
ity is superior to that in other parts of Geylon. 

There are necessarily rich lots every now and then 
in such a large extent as the surface of the low country ; 
but these lots usually lie on the banks of rivers which 
have been subjected to inundations, and they are not 
fair samples of Ceylon soil. A river's bank dr a val- 
ley's bottom must be tolerably good even in the poorest 
country. 

The great proof of the general poverty of Ceylon is 
shown in the failure of every agricultural experiment 
in which a rich soil is required. 

Cinnamon thrives ; but why.? It delights in a soil of 
quartz sand, in which nothing else would grow. 

Cocoa-nut trees flourish for the same reason ; sea air, 
a sandy soil and a dry subsoil are all that the cocoa-nut 
requires. 

On the other hand, those tropical productions which 
require a strong soil invariably prove failures, and 
sugar, cotton, indigo, hemp and tobacco cannot possi- 
bly be cultivated with success. 

Even on the alluvial soil upon the banks of rivers 
sugar does not pay the proprietor. The only sugar 
estate in the island that can keep its head above water 
is the Peredenia estate, within four miles of Kandy. 
This, again, lies upon the bank of the Mahawelli river, 
and it has also the advantage of a home market for its 
produce, as it supplies the interior of Ceylon at the rate 
of twenty-three shillings per cwt. upon the spot. 

Any person who thoroughly understands the practi- 



6o Eight Tears' Wanderings i?i Ceylon. 

cal cultivation of the sugar-cane can tell the quality of 
sugar that will be produced by an examination of the 
soil. I am thoroughly convinced that no soil in Ceylon 
will produce a sample of fine, straw-colored, dry, 
bright, large-crystaled sugar. The finest sample ever 
produced of Ceylon sugar is a dull gray, and always 
moist, requiring a very large proportion of lime in the 
manufacture, without which it could neither be cleansed 
nor crystalized. 

The 4feugar cane, to produce fine sugar, requires a 
rich, stiff', and very dry soil. In Ceylon, there is no 
such thing as a stiff soil existing. The alluvial soil 
upon the^banks of rivers is adapted for the growth of 
cotton and tobacco, but not for the sugar-cane. In such 
light and moist alluvial soil the latter will grow to a 
great size, and will yield a large quantity of juice in 
wdiich the saccharometer may stand well ; but the de- 
gree of strength indicated will proceed from an immense 
proportion of mucilage, which will give much trouble 
in the cleansing during boiling ; and the sugar produced 
must be wantins: in drvness and fine color. 

There are several rivers in Ceylon whose banks would 
produce good cotton and tobacco, especially those in the 
districts of Hambantotte and Batticaloa ; such as the 
*' Wallawe," the " Yalle river," the "Koombookanaar," 
etc. ; but even here the good soil is very limited, lying 
on either bank for only a quarter of a mile in width. 
In addition to this, the unhealthiness of the climate is 
so great that I am convinced no European constitution 
could withstand it. Even the natives are decimated 
at certain seasons by the most virulent fevers and 
dysentery. 

These diseases generally prevail to the greatest extent 



Supposed Fertility of SoiL 6i 

during the dry season. This district is particularly sub- 
ject to severe droughts ; months pass away without a 
drop of rain or a cloud upon the sky. Every pool and 
tank is dried up ; the rivers forsake their banks, and a 
trifling stream trickles over the sandy bed. Thus all 
the rotten wood, dead leaves and putrid vegetation 
brought down by the torrent during the wet season are 
left upon the dried bed to infect the air with miasma. 

This deadly climate would be an insurmountable 
obstacle to the success of estates. Even could mana- 
gers be found to brave the danger, one season of sick- 
ness and death among the coolies would give the estate 
a name which would deprive it of all future supplies 
of labor. 

Indigo is indigenous to Ceylon, but it is of an in- 
ferior quality, and an experiment made in its cultiva- 
tion was a total failure. 

In fact, nothing will permanently succeed in Ceylon 
soil without abundance of manure, with the exception 
of cinnamon and cocoa-nuts. Even the native gardens 
will not produce a tolerable sample of the common 
sweet potato without manure, a positive proof of the 
general poverty of the soil. 

Nevertheless, Ceylon has had a character for fertility. 
Bennett, in his work entitled " Ceylon and its Capa- 
bilities," describes the island in the' most florid terms, 
as " the most important and valuable of all the insular 
possessions of the imperial crown." Again he speaks 
of " its fertile soil, and indigenous vegetable produc- 
tions," etc., etc. Again : " Ceylon, though compara- 
tively but little known, is pre-eminent in natural re- 
sources." All this serves to mislead the public opinion. 
Agricultural experiments in a tropical country in a little 
6 



t>2 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

garden highly manured may be very satisfactory arid 
very amusing. Everything must necessarily come to 
perfection with great rapidity ; but these experiments 
are no proof of what Ceylon will produce, and the 
popular idea of its fertility has been at length proved a 
delusion. 

It is a dangerous thing for any man to sit down to 
^'' make" a book. If he has had personal experience, 
let him write a description of those subjects which he 
understands ; but if he attempts to " make" a book, he 
must necessarily collect information from hearsay, 
when he will most probably gather some " chaff" with 
his grain. 

Can any man, when describing the "fertility" of 
Ceylon, be aware that newly-cleared forest-land will 
only produce one crop of the miserable grain called 
korrakan ? Can he understand why the greater por- 
tion of Ceylon is covered by dense thorny jungles? It 
is simply this — that the land is so desperately poor that 
it will only produce one crop, and thus an immense 
acreage is required for the support of a few inhabitants ; 
thus, from ages past up to the present time, the natives 
have been continually felling fresh forest and deserting 
the last clearing, which has accordingly grown into a 
dense, thorny jungle, forming what are termed the 
" Ch^nars" of Ceylon. 

So fully aware are the natives of the impossibility of 
getting more than one crop out of the land that they 
plant all that they require at the same time. Thus 
may be seen in a field of korrakan (a small grain), 
Indian corn, millet and pumpkins, all growing together, 
and harvested as they respectively become ripe. 

The principal articles of native cultivation are rice^ 



Neglect of Rice Cultivation. 63 

korrakan, Indian corn, betel, areca-nuts, pumpkins, 
onions, garlic, gingelly-oil seed, tobacco, millet, red 
peppers, curry seed and sweet potatoes. 

The staple articles of Ceylon production are coffee, 
cinnamon and cocoa-nut oil, which are for the most 
part cultivated and manufactured by Europeans. 

The chief article of native consumption, "rice," 
should be an export from Ceylon ; but there has been 
an unaccountable neglect on the part of government 
regarding the production of this important grain, for 
the supply of which Ceylon is mainly dependent upon 
importation. In the hitherto overrated general re- 
sources of Ceylon, the cultivation of rice has scarcely 
been deemed worthy of notice ; the all-absorbing subject 
of coffee cultivation has withdrawn the attention of the 
government from that particular article, for the pro- 
duction of which the resources of Ceylon are both 
naturally and artificially immense. 

This neglect is the more extraordinary as the in- 
crease of coffee cultivation involves a proportionate 
increase in the consumption of rice, by the additional 
influx of coolie labor from the coast of India ; there^ 
fore the price and supply of rice in Ceylon become 
questions of similar importance to the price of corn in 
England. This dependence upon a foreign soil for the 
supply involves the necessary fluctuations in price 
caused by uncertain arrivals and precarious harvests ; 
and the importance of an unlimited supply at an even 
rate may be imagined when it is known that every na- 
tive consumi;s a bushel of rice per month, when he can 
obtain it. 

Nevertheless, the great capabilities of Ceylon for the 
cultivation of this all-important " staff of life" are en- 



64 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon* 

tirely neglected by the government. The tanks which 
afforded a supply of water for millions in former ages 
now lie idle and out of repair ; the pelican sails in soli- 
tude upon their waters, and the crocodile basks upon 
their shores ; the thousands of acres which formerly 
produced rice for a dense population are now matted 
over by a thorny and impenetrable jungle. The wild 
buffalo, descendant from the ancient stock which tilled 
the ground of a great nation, now roams through a barren 
forest, which in olden times was a soil glistening with 
fertility. The ruins of the mighty cities tower high 
above the trees, sad monuments of desolation, where 
all was once flourishing, and where thousands dwelt 
within their walls. 

All are passed away ; and in the wreck of past ages 
we trace the great resources of the country, which pro- 
duced sufficient food to support millions ; while for the 
present comparatively small population Ceylon is de- 
pendent upon imports. 

These lakes, or tanks, were works of much art and 
of immense labor for the purpose of reservoirs, from 
the supply of^ which the requisite amount of land could 
be irrigated for rice cultivation. A valley of the re- 
quired extent being selected, the courses of neighboring 
or distant rivers were conducted into it, and the exit of 
the waters was preventb:'d by great causeways, or dams, 
of solid masonry, which extended for some miles across 
the lower side of the valley thus converted into a lake. 
The exit of the water was then regulated by means of 
sluices, from which it was conducted by channels to the 
rice-lands. 

These tanks are of various extent, and extremely nu- 
merous throughout Ceylon. Th? largest are those of 



Former Prosperity. 65 

Minneria, Kandellai, Padavellkiellom, and the Giant's 
Tank. These are from fifteen to twenty-five miles in 
circumference; but in former times, when the sluices 
were in repair and the volume of water at its full height, 
they must have been much larger. 

In those days the existence of a reservoir of water 
was a certain indication of a populous and flourishing 
neighborhood ; and the chief cities of the country were 
accordingly situated in those places which were always 
certain of a supply. So careful were the inhabitants 
in husbanding those liquid resources upon which their 
very existence depended that even the surplus waters 
of one lake were not allowed to escape unheeded. 
Channels were cut, connecting a chain of tanks of 
slightly varying elevations, over an extent of sixty or 
seventy miles of apparently flat country, and the over- 
flow of one tank was thus conducted in succession 
from lake to lake, until they all attained the desired 
level. 

In this manner was the greater portion of * Ceylon 
kept in the highest state of cultivation. From the 
north to the south the island was thickly peopled, and 
the only portions which* then remained in the hands of 
nature were those which are now seen in the state of 
primeval forest. 

Well may Ceylon in those times have deserved the 
name of the " Paradise of the East." The beauties 
which nature has showered upon the lan^ were height- 
ened by cultivation ; the forest-capped mountains rose 
from a waving sea of green ; the valleys teemed with 
wealth ; no thorny jungles gave a barren cast to the 
Interminable prospect, but the golden tints of ripening 
crops spread to the horizon. Temples stood upon the 
6* E 



66 EigJit Team's' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

hill-tops ; cities were studded over the land, their lofty 
dagobas and palaces reflected on the glassy surface 
of the lakes, from which their millions of inhabit- 
ants derived their food, their wealth and their very 
life. 

The remains of these cities sufficiently attest the 
former amount of population and the comparative civ- 
ilization which existed at that remote era among the 
progenitors of the present degraded race of barbarians. 
The ruins of '^Anaradupoora," which cover two hun- 
dred and fifty-six square miles of ground, are all that 
remain of the noble city which stood within its walls 
in a square of sixteen miles. Some idea of the amount 
of population may be arrived at, when we consider the 
present density of inhabitants in all Indian houses and 
towns. Millions must, therefore, have streamed from 
the gates of a city to which our modern London was 
comparatively a village. 

There is a degree of sameness in the ruins of all the 
ancient cities of Ceylon which renders a description 
tedious. Those of " Anaradupoora" are the largest in 
extent, and the buildings appear to have been more 
lofty, the great dagoba having exceeded four hundred 
feet in height ; but the ruins do not exhibit the same 
" finish'* in the style of architecture wdiich is seen in 
the remains of other towns. 

Among these, "Topare," anciently called "PoUa- 
narua," stands foremost. This city appears to have 
been laid out with a degree of taste which would have 
done credit to our modern towns. 

Before its principal gate stretched a beautiful lake ot 
about fifteen miles' circumference (now only nine). 
The approach to this gate was by a broad road, upon 



Pollanarua. 67 

the top of a stone causeway, of between two and three 
miles in length, which formed a massive dam to the 
watei;s of the lake which washed its base. To the 
right of this dam stretched many miles of cultivation ; 
to the left, on the farther shores of the lake, lay park- 
like grass-lands, studded with forest trees, some of 
whose mighty descendants still exist in the noble 
"tamarind," rising above all others. Let us return in 
imagination to Pollanarua as it once stood. Having 
arrived upon the causeway in the approach to the city, 
the scene must have been beautiful in the extreme : the 
silvery lake, like a broad mirror, in the midst of a 
tropical park ; the flowering trees shadowing its 
waters ; the groves of tamarinds sheltering its many 
nooks and bays ; the gorgeous blossoms of the pink 
lotus resting on its glassy surface ; and the carpet-like 
glades of verdant pasturage, stretching far away upon 
the opposite shores, covered with countless elephants, 
tamed to complete obedience. Then on the right, 
below the massive granite steps which form the cause- 
way, the water rushing from the sluice carries fertility 
among a thousand fields, and countless laborers and 
cattle till the ground : the sturdy buffaloes straining at 
the plough, the women, laden with golden sheaves of 
corn and baskets of fruit, crowding along the palm- 
shaded road winding toward the city, from whose gate 
a countless throng are passing and returning. Behold 
the mighty city ! rising like a snow-white cloud from 
the broad margin of the waters. The groves of cocoa- 
nuts and palms of every kind, grouped in the inner 
gardens, throwing a cool shade upon the polished 
walls ; the lofty palaces towering among the stately 
areca trees, and the gilded domes reflecting a blaze of 



68 Eight Teari Waiidcrings hi Ceylon. 

light from the rays of a midday sun. Such let us sup- 
pose the exterior of Pollanarua. ; ^i- 

The gates are entered, and a bvoad street, straight as 
an arrow, lies before us, shaded on either side by rows 
of palms. Here stand, on either band, the dwellings 
of the principal inhabitants, bordering the wide space, 
which continues its straight and shady course for about 
four miles in lengdi. In the centre, standing in a spa- 
cious circle, rises the great Dagoba, forming a grand 
coup cTosiL from the. entrance gate. Two hundred and 
sixty feet from the base the Dagoba rears its lofty sun^- 
mit. Two circular terraces, each of some twenty feet 
in height, rising one upon the other, with a width of 
fifty feet, and a diameter at the base of. about two hun- 
dred and fifty, from the step-like platform upon which 
the Dagoba stands. These are ascended by broad 
flights of steps, each terrace forming a circular prome- 
nade around the Dagoba ; the whole* having the ap- 
pearance of w^hite marble, being covered with polished 
stucco ornamented with figures in bas-relief. The 
Dagoba is a solid mass of brickwork in the shape of a 
dome, which rises from the upper terrace. The whole 
is covered with polished stucco, and surmounted by a 
gilded spire standing upon a square pedestal of stucco, 
highly ornamented with large figures, also in bas-relief; 
this pedestal is a cube of about thirty feet, supporting 
the tall gilded spire, which is surmounted by a golden 
umbrella. 

Around the base of the Dagoba on the upper terrace 
are eight small entrances with highl3^-ornamented ex- 
teriors. These are the doors to eight similar chambers 
of about twelve feet square, in each of which is a small 
altar and carved golden idol. 



The Great Dag oh a. 69 

This Dagoba forms the main centre of the city, from 
which streets branch off in all directions, radiating 
from the circular space in which it stands. 

The main street from the entrance-gate continues to 
the further extremity of the city, being crossed at right 
angles in the centre by a similar street, thus forming 
two great main streets through the city, terminating in 
four great gates or entrances to the town — north, south, 
east and west. 

Continuing along the main street from the great 
Dagoba for about a mile, we face another Dagoba of 
similar appearance, but of smaller dimensions, also 
standing in a spacious circle. Near this rises the king's 
palace, a noble building of great height, edged at the 
corner by narrow octagon towers. 

At the further extremity of this main street, close to 
the opposite entrance-gate, is the rock temple, with the 
massive idols of Buddha flanking the entrance. 

This, from the form and position of the existing 
ruins, we may conceive to have been the appearance 
of Pollanarua in its days of prosperity. But what 
remains of its grandeur? It has vanished like " a tale 
that is told ;" it is passed away like a dream ; the pal- 
aces are dust ; the grassy sod has grown in mounds over 
the ruins of streets and fallen houses ; nature has turfed 
them in one common grave with their inhabitants. 
The lofty palms have faded away and given place to 
forest trees, whose roots spring from the crumbled 
ruins; the bear and the leopard crouch in the porches- 
of the temples ; the owl roosts in the casements of the 
palaces ; the jackal roams among the ruins in vain ; 
there is not a bone left fof'him ,to gnaw of the multi- 
tudes which have passed away. .There is their hand- 



*jO EigJit Tears' Wandering's in Ceylon, 

writing upon the temple wall, upon the granite slab 
which has mocked at Time; but there is no man to 
decipher it. There are the gigantic idols before whom 
millions have bowed ; there is the same vacant stare 
upon their features of rock which gazed upon the mul- 
titudes of yore ; but they no longer stare upon the 
pomp of the glorious city, but upon ruin, and rank 
weeds, and utter desolation. How many suns have 
risen an-d how many nights have darkened the earth 
since silence has reigned amidst the city, no man can 
tell. No mortal can say what fate befell those hosts of 
heathens, nor when they vanished from the earth. Day 
and night succeed each other, and the shade of the set- 
ting sun still falls from the great Dagoba ; but it is the 
"valley of the shadow of death" upon which that 
shadow falls like a pall over the corpse of a nation. 

The great Dagoba now remains a heap of moulder- 
ing brickwork, still retaining its form, but shorn of all 
its beauty. The stucco covering has almost all disap- 
peared, leaving a patch here and there upon the most 
sheltered portions of the building. Scrubby brush- 
wood and rank grass and lichens have for the most 
part covered its surface, giving it the appearance rather 
of a huge mound of earth than of an ancient building. 
A portion of the palace is also standing, and, although 
for the most part blocked up with ruins, there is still 
sufficient to denote its former importance. The bricks, 
or rather the tiles, of which all the buildings are com- 
posed, are of such an imperishable nature that they 
still adhere to each other in large masses in spots where 
portions of the buildings have fallen. 

In one portion of the ruins there are a number of 
beautiful fluted colums, with carved capitals, still re- 



Architectural Ruins. 71 

maining in a perfect state. Among these are the ruins 
of a large flight of steps; near them, again, a stone- 
lined tank, which was evidently intended as a bath ; 
and everything denotes the former comfort and arrange- 
ment of a first-class establishment. There are innu- 
merable relics, all interesting and worthy of individual 
attention, throughout the ruins over a surface of many 
miles, but they are mostly overgrown with jungle or 
covered with rank grass. The apparent undulations 
of the ground in all directions are simply the remains 
of fallen streets and buildings overgrown in like man- 
ner with tangled vegetation. 

The most interesting, as being the most perfect, 
specimen, is the small rock temple, which, being hewn 
out of the solid stone, is still in complete preservation. 
This is a small chamber in the face of an abrupt rock, 
which, doubtless, being partly a natural cavern, has 
been enlarged to the present size by the chisel ; and the 
entrance, which may have been originally a small hole, 
has been shaped into an arched doorway. The interior 
is not more than perhaps twenty-five feet by eighteen, 
and is simply fitted up with an altar and the three 
figures of Buddha, in the positions in which he is 
usually represented — the sitting, the reclining and the 
standing postures. 

The exterior of the temple is far more interesting. 
The narrow archway is flanked on either side by two 
inclined planes, hewn from the face of the rock, about 
eighteen feet high by twelve in width. These are com- 
pletely covered with an inscription in the old Pali lan- 
guage, which has never been translated. Upon the left 
of one plain is a kind of sunken area hewn out of the 
rock, in which sits a colossal figure of Buddha, about 



*J2 Sight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

twenty feet in height. On the right of the other plane 
is a figure in the standing posture about the same 
height; and still farther to the right, likewise hewn 
from the solid rock, is an immense figure in the recum- 
bent posture, which is about fifty-six feet in length, or, 
as I measured it, not quite nineteen paces. 

These figures are of a far superior class of sculpture 
to the idols usually seen in Ceylon, especially that in 
the reclining posture, in which the impression of the 
head upon the pillow is so well executed that the mas- 
sive pillow of gneiss rock actually appears yielding to 
the weight of the head. 

This temple is supposed to be coeval with the city, 
which was founded about three hundred years before 
Christ, and is supposed to have been in ruins for up- 
ward of six hundred years. The comparatively recent 
date of its destruction renders its obscurity the more 
mysterious, as there is no mention made of its annihila- 
tion in any of the Cingalese records, although the city 
is constantly mentioned during the time of its prosperity 
in the native history of Ceylon. It is my opinion that 
its destruction was caused by famine. 

In tliose days the kings of Ceylon were perpetually 
at war with each other. The Qiieen of the South, 
from the great city of Mahagam in the Hambantotte 
district, made constant war with the kings of Pollanarua. 
They again made war with the Arabs and Malabars, 
who had invaded the northern -districts of Ceylon ; and 
as in modern warfare the great art consists in cutting 
off the enemy's supplies, so in those days the first and 
most decisive blow to be inflicted was the cutting off 
the "water." Thus, by simply turning the course of a 
river which suppHed a principal tank, not only would 



Destruction of Population. 73 

that tank lose its supply, but the whole of the connected 
chain of lakes dependent upon the principal would in 
like manner be deprived of water. 

This being the case, the first summer or dry season 
would lay waste the country. I have myself seen the 
lake of Minneria, which is twenty-two miles in cir- 
cumference, evaporate to the small dimensions of four 
miles circuit during a dry season. 

A population of some millions wholly dependent 
upon the supply of rice for their existence would be 
thrown into sudden starvation by the withdrawal of the 
water. Thus have the nations died out like a fire for 
lack of fuel. 

This cause will account for the decay of the great 
cities of Ceylon. The population gone, the wind and 
the rain would howl through the deserted dwellings, 
the white ants would devour the supporting beams, the 
elephants would rub their colossal forms against the 
already tottering houses, and decay would proceed with 
a rapidity unknown in a cooler clime. As the seed 
germinates in a few hours in a tropical country, so 
with equal haste the body of both vegetable and animal 
decays when life is extinct. A perpetual and hurrying 
change is visible in all things. A few showers, and 
the surface of the earth is teeming with verdure ; a few 
days of drought, and the seeds already formed are fall- 
ing to the earth, springing 'in their turn to life at the 
approach of moisture. The same rapidity of change is 
exhibited in their decay. The heaps of vegetable pu 
tridity upon 'the banks of rivers, when a swollen torrent 
has torn the luxuriant plants from the loosened soil, are 
out the effects of a few hours' change. The tree that 
arrives at maturity in a few years rots in as short a 
T 



74 Kight Tears' Wander higs in Ceylon. 

time when required for durability: thus it is no mys- 
tery, that either a house or a city should «?hortly fall to 
decay when the occupant is gone. 

In like manner, and with still greater rapidity, is a 
change effected in the face of nature. As the flowers 
usurp the place of weeds under the care of man, so, 
when his hand is wanting, a few short weeks bury 
them beneath an overwhelming mass of thorns. In 
one year a jungle will conceal all signs of recent culti- 
vation. Is it, therefore, a mystery that Ceylon is cov- 
ered with such vast tracts of thorny jungle, now that 
her inhabitants are gone.^* 

Throughout the world there is a perpetual war be- 
tween man and nature, but in no country has the 
original curse of the earth been carried out to a fuller 
extent than in Ceylon : " thorns also and thistles shall 
it bring forth to thee." This is indeed exemplified 
when a few months' neglect of once-cultivated land 
renders it almost impassable, and where man has 
vanished from the earth and thorny jungles have cov- 
ered the once broad tracts of prosperous cultivation. 

A few years will thus produce an almost total ruin 
throughout a deserted cit3^ The air of desolation 
created by a solitude of six centuries can therefore be 
easily imagined. There exists, however, among the 
ruins of PoUanarua a curious instance of the power of 
the smallest apparent magnitude to destroy the works 
of man. At some remote period a bird has dropped 
the seed of the banian tree {^Jicus Indicus) upon the 
decaying summit of a dagoba. This,- germinating, 
has struck its root downward through the brickwork, 
and, by the gradual and insinuating progress of its 
growth, it has split the immense mass of building into 



Suggestions for Increasing Population. 75 

two sections ; the twisted roots now appearing through 
the clefts, while the victorious tree waves in exultation 
above the ruin : an emblem of the silent growth of 
" civilization" which will overturn the immense fabric 
of heathen superstition. 

It is placed beyond a doubt that the rice-growing re- 
sources of Ceylon have been suffered to lie dormant 
since the disappearance of her ancient population ; and 
to these neglected capabilities the attention of govern- 
ment should be directed. 

An experiment might be commenced on a small 
scale by the repair of one tank — say Kandellai, which 
is only twenty-six miles from Trincomalee on the high- 
road to Kandy. This tank, when the dam and sluices 
were repaired, would rise to about nine feet above 
its present level, and would irrigate many thousand 
acres. 

The grand desideratum in the improvement of Cey- 
lon is the increase of the population ; all of whom 
should, in some measure, be made to increase the 
revenue. 

The government should therefore hazard this one 
experiment to induce the emigration of the industrious 
class of Chinese to the shores of Ceylon. Show them 
a never-failing supply of water and land of unlimited 
extent to be had on easy terms, and the country would 
soon resume its original prosperity. A tax of five per 
cent, upon the produce of the land, to commence in the 
ratio of .o per cent, for the first year, three per cent, for 
the second and third, and the full amount of five for the 
fourth, would be a fair and easy rent to the settler, and 
would not only repay the government for the cost of 
repairing the tank, but would in a few years become a 



76 Might Year's' Wander^ings in Ceylon, 

considerable source of revenue, in addition to the in- 
creased value of the land, now worthless, by a system 
of cultivation. 

Should the first experiment succeed, the plan might 
be continued throughout Ceylon, and the soil of her 
own shores would produce a supply for the island con- 
sumption. The revenue would be derived direct from 
the land which now produces nothing but thorny jungle. 
The import trade of Ceylon would be increased in pro- 
portion to the influx of population, and the duties upon 
enlarged imports would again tend to swell the revenue 
of the country. 

The felling and clearing of the jungle, which culti- 
vation would render necessary, would tend, in a great 
measure, to dispel the fevers and malaria always pro- 
duced by a want of free circulation of air. In a jungle- 
covered country like Ceylon, diseases of the most ma- 
lignant character are harbored in these dense arid un- 
disturbed tracts, which year after year reap a pesti- 
lential harvest from the thinly-scattered population. 
Cholera, dysenter}?, fever and small-pox all appear in 
their turn and annually sweep whole villages awa3^ I 
have frequently hailed with pleasure the distant tope 
of waving cocoa-nut trees after a long day's journe}'- in 
a broiling sun, when I have cantered toward these 
shady warders of cultivation in hopes of a night's halt 
at a village. But the palms have sighed in the wind 
over tenantless abodes, and the mouldering dead have 
lain beneath their shade. Not a livinsT soul remainins" ; 
all swept away by pestilence ; huts recently fallen to 
decay, fruits ripening on the trees, and no hand left to 
gathcT them ; the shaddock and the lime falling to the 
earth to be preyed upon by the worm, like their former 



Deserted Villages. 77 

masters. All dead ; not one left to tell the miserable 
tale. 

The decay of the population is still progressing, and 
the next fifty years will see whole districts left unin- 
habited unless something can be done to prevent it. 
There is little doubt that if land and water could be 
obtained from government in a comparatively healthy 
and populous neighborhood, many would migrate to 
that point from the half-deserted districts, who might 
assist in the cultivation of the country instead of rotting 
in a closing jungle. 

One season of pestilence, even in a large village, 
paves the road for a similar visitation in the succeeding 
year, for this reason : 

Say that a village comprising two hundred men is 
reduced by sickness to a population of one hundred. 
The remaining one hundred cannot keep in cultivation 
the land formerly open ; therefore, the jungle closes 
over the surface and rapidly encroaches upon the vil- 
lage. Thus the circulation of air is impeded and 
disease again halves the population. In each succes- 
sive year the wretched inhabitants are thinned out, and 
disease becomes the more certain as the jungle con- 
tinues to advance. At length the miserable few are no 
longer sufficient to cultivate the rice-lands ; their num- 
bers will n*)t even suffice for driving their buffaloes. 
The jungle closes round the village ; cholera finishes 
the scene by sweeping off the remnant ; and groves of 
cocoa-nut trees, towering over the thorny jungle, become 
monuments sacred to the memory of an exterminated 
village. 

The number of villages which have thus died out is 
almost incredible. In a day's ride of twenty miles, I 
7* 



78 Eight 7^ears^ Wanderings in Ceylon. 

have passed the remains of as many as three or four ; 
how many more may have vanished in the depths of 
the jungle ! 

Wherever the cocoa-nut tre^s are still existing, the 
ruin of the village must have been comparatively recent, 
as the w^ild elephants generally overturn them in a few 
years after the disappearance of the inhabitants, brow- 
sing upon the succulent tops, and destroying every 
trace of a former habitation. 

There is no doubt that when sickness is annually re- 
ducing the population of a district, the inhabitants, and 
accordingly the produce of the land, must shortly come 
to an end. In all times of pestilence the first impulse 
among the natives is to fly from the neighborhood, but 
at present there is no place of refuge. It is, therefore, 
a matter of certainty that the repair of one of the prin- 
cipal tanks would draw together in thousands the sur- 
vivors of many half-perished villages, who would 
otherwise fall victims to succeeding years of sickness. 

The successful cultivation of rice at all times requires 
an extensive population, and large grazing-grounds for 
the support of the buffaloes necessary for the tillage of 
the land. 

The labor of constructing dams and forming water- 
courses is performed by a general gathering, similar to 
the American principle of a "bee;" and, 'as "man}'' 
hands make light work," the cultivation proceeds with 
great rapidit}'. Thus a large population can bring into 
tillage a greater individual proportion of ground than a 
smaller number of laborers, and the rice is iccordingly 
produced at a cheaper rate. 

Few people understand the difficulties with which a 
small village has to contend in the cultivation of rice. 



l)ijfficulties in the Cultivation of Rice, 79 

iThe continual repairs of temporary dams, which are 
nightly trodden down and destroyed by elephants ; the 
filling up of the water-courses from the same cause ; 
the nocturnal attacks upon the crops by elephants and 
hogs ; the devastating attacks of birds as the grain be- 
comes ripe ; a scarcity of water at the exact moment 
that it is required ; and other numerous difficulties 
which are scarcely felt by a large population. 

By the latter the advantage is enjoyed of the division 
of labor. The dams are built of permanent material ; 
every work is rapidly completed ; the night-fires blaze 
in the lofty watch-houses, while the shouts of the 
watchers scare the wild beasts from the crops. Hun- 
dreds of children are daily screaming from their high 
perches to scare away the birds. Rattles worked by 
long lines extend in every direction, unceasingly pulled 
by the people in the watch-houses^; wind-clackers 
(similar to our cherry-clackers) are whirling in all 
places ; and by the division of the toil aniong a multi- 
tude the individual work proceeds without fatigue. 

Every native is perfectly aware of this advantage In 
rice cultivation ; and were the supply of water ensured 
to them by the repair of a principal tank, they would 
gather around its margin. The thorny jungles would 
soon disappear from the surface of the ground, and a 
denselj'-populated and prosperous district would again 
exist where all has been a wilderness for a thousand 
years. 

The system of rice cultivation is exceedingly labori- 
ous. The first consideration being a supply of water, 
the second is a perfect level, or series of levels, to be ir- 
rigated. Thus a hill-side must be terraced out into a 
succession of platforms or steps ; and a plain, however 



8o Eight 7'ears^ Wander mgs in Ceylo7t. 

apparently flat, must, by the requisite embankments, be 
reduced to the most perfect surface. 

This being completed, the water is laid on for a cer- 
tain time, until the soil has become excessively soft and 
muddy. It is then run off, and the land is ploughed by 
a simple implement, which, being drawn by two buffa- 
loes, stirs up the soil to a depth of eighteen inches. 
This finished, the water is again laid on until the mud 
becomes so soft that a man will sink knee-deep. In 
this state it is then trodden over by buffaloes, driven 
backward and forward in large gangs, until the mud is 
so thoroughly mixed that upon the withdrawal of the 
water it sinks to a perfect level. 

Upon this surface the paddy, having been previously 
soaked in water, is now sown ; and, in the course of a 
fortnight, it attains a height of about four inches. The 
water is now again laid on, and continued at intervals 
until within a foi'tnight of the grain becoming ripe. It 
is then run oft'; the ground hardens, the ripe crop is 
harvested by the sickle, and the grain is trodden out by 
buffaloes. The rice is then separated from the paddy 
or husk by being pounded in a wooden mortar. 

This. is a style of cultivation in which the Cingalese 
particularly excel ; nothing can be more beautifully 
regular than their flights of green terraces from the 
bottoms of the valleys to the very summits of the hills ; 
and the labor required in their formation must be im- 
mense, as they are frequently six feet one above the 
other. The Cingalese are peculiarly a rice-growing 
natiop ; give them an abundant supply of water and 
land on easy terms, and they will not remain idle. 



CHAPTER V. 

REAL COST OF LAND — WANT OF COMMUNICATION — COFFEE- 
PLANTING —COMPARISON BETWEEN FRENCH AND ENGLISH 
SETTLERS — LANDSLIPS — FOREST-CLEARING — MANURING — 
THE COFFEE BUG — RATS — FATTED STOCK — SUGGESTIONS 
FOR SHEEP-FARMING — ATTACK OF A LEOPARD — LEOPARDS 
AND CHETAHS — BOY DEVOURED — TRAPS — MUSK CATS AND 
THE MONGOOSE — VERMIN OF CEYLON. 

WHAT is the government price of land in Ceylon? 
and what is the real cost of the land? These 
are two questions which should be considered sepa- 
rately, and with graye attention, by the intending settler 
or capitalist. 

The upset price of government land is twenty shil- 
lings per acre ; thus, the inexperienced purchaser is 
very apt to be led away by the apparently low sum per 
acre into a^urchase of great extent. The question of 
the real cost will then be solved at his expense. There 
are few colonies belonging to Great Britain where the 
government price of land is so high, compared to the 
value of the natural productions of the soil. 

The staple commodity of Ceylon being coffee, I will 
assume that a purchase is concluded with the govern- 
inent for one thousand acres of land, at the upset price 
of twenty shillings per acre. What has the purchaser 

F 81 



82 Eight 2'ears^ IVanderi'/.'^s ::.> Ceylon. 

obtained for this sum? One thousand acres of dense 
forest, to which there is no road. The one thousand 
pounds passes into the government cliest, and the 
purchaser is no longer thought of; he is left to 
shift for himself and to make the most of his bad 
bargain. 

He is, therefore, in this position : He has parted 
with one thousand pounds for a similar number of 
acres of land, which will not yield him one penny in 
any shape until he has cleared it from forest. This he 
immediately commences by giving out contracts, and 
the forest is cleared, lopped and burnt. The ground is 
then planted with coffee, and the planter has to wait 
three years for a return. By the time of full bearing 
the whole cost of felling, burning, planting and clean- 
ing will be about eight pounds per acre ; this, in addi- 
tion to the prime cost of the land, and about, two 
thousand pounds expended in buildings, machinery, 
etc., etc., will bring the price of the land, when in a 
yielding condition, to eleven pounds an acre at the low- 
est calculation. Thus before his land ^-ields him one 
fraction, he will have invested eleven thousand pounds, 
if he clears the whole of his purchase. Many per 
sons lose sight of this necessary outlay when first pur- 
chasing their land, and subsequently disco\w to their 
cost that their capital is insufficient to bring the estate 
into cultivation. 

Then comes the question of a road. The govern- 
ment will give him no assistance ; accordingly, the 
whole of his crop must be conveyed on coolies' heads 
along an arduous path to the nearest highway, perhaps 
fifteen miles distant. Even this rough path of fifteen 
miles the planter must form at his own expense. 



Want of Communication. 83 

Considering the risks that are always attendant jpon 
agricultural pursuits, and especially upon cofFee-plant- 
ing, the price of rough land must be acknowledged as 
absurdly high under the present conditions of sales. 
There is a great medium to be observed, however, in 
the sales of crown land ; too low a price is even a 
greater evil than too high a rate, as it is apt to encour- 
age speculators in land, who do much injury to a colony 
by locking up large tracts in an uncultivated state, to 
take the chance of a future rise in the price. 

This evil might easily be avoided by retaining the 
present bona Jide price of the land per acre, qualified 
by an arrangement that one-half of the purchase money 
should be expended in the formation of roads from the 
land in question. This would be of immense assistance 
to the planters, especially in a populous planting neigh- 
borhood, where the purchases of land were large and 
numerous, in which case the aggregate sum would be 
sufficient to form a carriage road to the main highway, 
which might be kept in repair by a slight toll. An 
arrangement of this kind is not only fair to the planters, 
but would be ultimately equally beneficial to the gov- 
ernment. Every fresh sale of land~\vould ensure either 
a new road or the improvement of an old one ; and the 
country would be opened up through the most remote 
districts. This very fact of good communication would 
expedite the sales of crown lands, which are now value- 
less from their isolated position. 

Coffee-planting in Ceylon has passed through the 
various stages inseparable from every " mania." 

In the early days of our possession, the Kandian dis- 
trict was little known, and sanguine imaginations 
painted the hidden prospect in their ideal colors, ex- 



$4 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon, 

pecting that a trace once opened to the interior would 
be the road to fortune. 

How these golden expectations have been disap- 
pointed the broken fortunes of many enterprising 
planters can explain. 

The protective duty being withdrawn, ^ competition 
with foreign coffee at once reduced the splendid prices 
of olden times to a more moderate standard, and took 
forty per cent, out of the pockets of the planters. 
Coffee, which in those days brought from one hundred 
shillings to one hundred and forty shillings per hundred- 
weight, is now reduced to from sixty shillings to eighty 
shillings. 

This sudden reduction created an equally sudden 
panic among tRe planters, many of whom were men 
of straw, VN^ho had rushed to Ceylon at the first cry of 
coffee "fortunes," and who had embarked on an exten- 
sive scale with borrowed capital. These were the first 
to smash. In those days the expenses of bringing land 
into cultivation were more than double the present 
rate, and, the cultivation of coffee not being so well 
understood, the produce per acre was comparatively 
Bmall. This combination of untoward circumstances 
was sufficient cause for the alarm which ensued, and 
estates were thrust into the market and knocked down 
for whatever could be realized. Mercantile houses 
were dragged down into the general ruin, and a dark 
cloud settled over the Cinnamon Isle. 

As the after effects of a "hurricane" are a more 
healthy atmosphere and an increased vigor in all vege- 
tation, so are the usual sequels to a panic in the com- 
mercial world. Things are brought down to their real 
value and level ; men of straw are swept awa}", and 



Coffee- Planting, 85 

affairs are commenced anew upon a sound and steady 
basis. Capital is invested with caution, and improve- 
ments are entered upon step by step, until success is 
assured. 

The reduction in the price of coffee was accordingly 
met by a corresponding system of expenditure and by 
an improved state of cultivation ; and at the present 
time the agricultural prospects of the colony are in a 
more healthy state than they have ever been since the 
commencement of coffee cultivation. 

There is no longer any doubt that a coffee estate in a 
good situation in Ceylon will pay a large interest for 
the capital invested, and will ultimately enrich the pro- 
prietor, provided that he has his own capital to work 
his estate, that he gives his own personal superintend- 
ence and that he understands the management. These 
are the usual conditions of success in most affiiirs ; but 
a coffee estate is not unfrequently abused for not paying 
when it is worked with borrowed capital at a high 
rate of interest under questionable superintendence. 

It is a difficult thing to define the amount which con- 
stitutes a "fortune :" that which is enough for one man 
is a pittance for another ; but one thing is certain, that, 
no matter how small his first capital, the coffee-planter 
hopes to make his "fortune." 

Now, even allowing a net profit of twenty per cent, 
per annum on the capital invested, it must take at least 
ten years to add double the amount to the first capital, 
allowing no increase to the spare capital ^required for 
working the estate. A rapid fortune can never be 
made by working a coffee estate. Years of patient in- 
dustry and toil, chequered by many disappointments, 
may eventually reward the proprietor ; but it will be at 
8 



*?6 Eight years' Wandering's in Ceylon. 

1 time of life when a long residence in the tropics wlU 
have given him a distaste for the chilly atmosphere of 
old England ; his early friends will have been scattered 
abroad, and he will meet few faces to welcome him on 
his native shores. What cold is so severe as a cold re- 
ception? — no thermometer can mark the degree. No 
fortune, however large, can compensate for the loss of 
home, and friends, and early associations. 

This feeling is peculiarly strong throughout the 
British nation. You cannot convince an English 
settler that he will be abroad for an indefinite number 
of years ; the idea would be equivalent to transporta- 
tion : he consoles himself with the hope that something 
will turn up to alter the apparent certainty of his exile ; 
and in this hope, w4th his mind ever fixed upon his re- 
turn, he does nothing for posterity in the colony. He 
rarely even plants a fruit tree, hoping that his stay will 
not allow hir- ^-o gather from it. This accounts for the 
poverty of the gardens and enclosures around the 
houses of the English inhabitants, and the general 
dearth of any fruits worth eating. 

How different is the appearance of French colonies, 
and how different are the feelings of the settler ! The 
word "adieu" once spoken, he sighs an eternal fare- 
well to the shores of " La belle France," and, with the 
natural light-heartedness of the nation, he settles cheer- 
fully in a colony as his adopted country. He lays out 
his grounds with taste, and plants groves of exquisite 
fruit trees, whose produce will, he hopes, be tasted by 
his children and grandchildren. Accordingly, in a 
French colony there io a tropical beauty in the culti- 
vated trees and flowers which is seldom seen in our 
possessions. The fruits are brought to perfection, a« 



Coffee- Planting. 87 

there is the same care taken in pruning and grafting the 
finest kinds as in our gardens in England. 

A Frenchman is necessarily a better settler ; every- 
thing is arranged for permanency, from the building 
of a house to the cultivation of an estate. He does not 
distress his land for immediate profit, but from the 
very commencement he adopts a system of the highest 
cultivation. 

The latter is now acknowledged as the most remune- 
rative course in all countries ; and its good effects are 
already seen in Ceylon, where, for some years past, 
much attention has been devoted to manuring on coffee 
estates. 

No crop has served to develop the natural poverty of 
the soil so much as coffee ; and there is no doubt that, 
were it possible to procure manure in sufficient quantity, 
the holes should be well filled at the time of planting. 
This would give an increased vigor to the young plant 
that would bring the tree into bearing at an earlier date, 
as it would the sooner arrive at perfection. 

The present system of coffee-planting on a good 
estate is particularly interesting. It has now been 
proved that the best elevation in Ceylon to combine 
fine quality with large crops is from twenty-five hun- 
dred to four thousand feet. At one time it was con- 
sidered that the finest quality was produced at the 
highest range ; but the estates at an elevation of five 
thousand feet are so long at arriving at perfection, and 
the crop produced is so small, that the lower elevation 
is preferred. 

In the coffee districts of Ceylon there is little or no 
level ground to be obtained, and the steep sides of the 
hills offer many objections to cultivation. The soil, 



88 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

naturally light and poor, is washed by every shower, 
and the more soluble portions, together with the salts 
of the manure applied to the trees, are being continu- 
ally robbed by the heavy rains. Thus it is next to im- 
possible to keep an estate in a high state of cultivation, 
without an enormous expense in the constant applica- 
tion of manure. 

Many estates are peculiarly subject to landslips, which 
are likewise produced by the violence of the rains. In 
these cases the destruction is frequently to a large ex- 
tent ; great rocks are detached from the summits of the 
hills, and sweep off whole lines of trees in their 
descent. 

Wherever landslips are frequent, they may be taken 
as an evidence of a poor, clay subsoil. The rain soaks 
through the surface ; and not being able to percolate 
through the clay with sufficient rapidity, it lodges be- 
tween the two strata, loosening the upper surface, which 
slides from the greasy clay ; launched, as it were, by its 
own gravity into the valley below. 

This is the worst kind of soil for the coffee tree, 
whose long tap-root is ever seeking nourishment from 
beneath. On this soil it is very common to see a 
young plantation giving great promise ; but as the trees 
increase in growth the tap-root reaches the clay sub- 
soil and the plantation immediately falls off. The 
subsoil is of far more importance to the coffee-tree than 
the upper surface ; the latter may be improved by 
manure, but if the former is bad there is no remedy. 

The first thing to be considered being the soil, and 
the planter being satisfied with its quality, there is 
another item of equal importance to be taken into con- 
sideration when choosing a locality for a coffee estate. 



Fo7'est - Gl earing. 89 

This is an cKtent of grazing land sufficient for the sup- 
port of the cattle required for producing manure. 

In a country with so large a proportion of forest as 
Ceylon, this is not always practicable ; in which case 
land should be cleared and grass planted, as it is now 
proved that without manure an estate will never pay 
the proprietor. 

The locality being fixed upon, the clearing of the 
forest is commenced. The felling is begun from the 
base of the hills, and the trees being cut about half 
through, are started in sections of about an acre at one 
fall. This is easily effected by felling some large tree 
from the top, which, falling upon its half-divided 
neighbor, carries everything before it like a pack of 
cards. 

The number of acres required having been felled, the 
boughs and small branches are all lopped, and, together 
with the cleared underwood, they form a mass over the 
surface of the ground impervious to man or beast. 
This mass, exposed to a powerful sun, soon becomes 
sufficiently dry for burning, and, the time of a brisk 
breeze being selected, the torch is applied. 

The magnificent sight of so extensive a fire is suc- 
ceeded by the desolate appearance of blackened stumps 
and smouldering trunks of trees : the whole of the 
branches and underwood having been swept away by 
the mighty blaze, the land is comparatively clear. 

Holes two feet square are now dug in parallel lines 
at a distance of from six to eight feet apart throughout 
the estate, and advantage being taken of the wet sea- 
son, they are planted with young coffee trees of about 
twelve inches high. Nothing is now required but to 
keep the land clean until the trees attain the height of 
8* * 



9C Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon. 

about four feet and come into bearing. This, at an 
elevation of three thousand feet, they generally do in two 
years and a half. The stem is then topped, to prevent 
its higher growth and to produce a large supply of 
lateral shoots. 

The system of pruning is the same as wath all fruit 
trees ; the old wood being kept down to induce fruit- 
bearing shoots, whose number must be proportioned to 
the strength of the tree. 

The whole success of the estate now depends 'upon 
constant cleaning, plentiful manuring and careful 
pruning, with a due regard to a frugal expenditure and 
care in the up-keep of buildings, etc., etc. Much 
attention is also required in the management of the 
cattle on the estate, for without a proper system the 
amount of manure produced will be proportionately 
small. They should be bedded up every night hock 
deep with fresh litter, and the manure thus formed 
should be allowed to remain in the shed until it is 
between tv/o and three feet deep. It should then be 
treated on a " Geoffrey" pit (named after its inventor). 

This is the simplest and most perfect method for 
working up the weeds from an estate, and effectually 
destroying their seeds at the same time that they are 
converted into manure. 

A water-tight platform is formed of stucco — say forty 
feet square — surrounded by a wall two feet high, so as 
to form a tank. Below this is a sunken cistern — say 
eight feet square — into which the drainage would be 
conducted from the upper platform. In this cistern a 
force-pump is fitted, and the cistern is half filled with 
a solution of saltpetre and sal-ammoniac. 

A layer of weeds and rubbish is now laid upon the 



Manuring. 91 

platform for a. depth of three feet, surmounted by a 
layer of good dung from the cattle sheds of one foot 
thick. These la3'ers are continued alternately in the 
proportion of three to one of weeds, until the mass is 
piled to a height of twenty feet, the last layer being 
good dung. Upon this mass the contents of the cistern 
are pumped and evenly distributed by means of a 
spreader. 

This mixture promotes the most rapid decomposition 
of vegetable matter, and, combining with the juices of 
the weeds and the salts of the dung, it drains evenly 
through the whole mass, forming a most perfect com- 
post. The surplus moisture, upon reaching the bottom 
of the heap, drains from the slightly inclined platform 
into the receiving cistern, and is again pumped over 
the mass. 

This is the cheapest and best way of making manure 
upon an estate, the cattle sheds and pits being arranged 
in the different localities most suitable for reducing the 
labor of transport. 

The coffee berry, when ripe, is about the size of a 
cherry, and is shaped like a laurel berry. The flesh 
has a sweet but vapid taste, and encloses two seeds of 
coffee. These are carefully packed by nature in a 
double skin. 

The cherry coffee is gathered by coolies at the rate 
of two bushels each per diem, and is cleared from the 
flesh by passing through a pulper, a machine consisting 
of cylindrical copper graters, which tear the flesh from 
the berry and leave the coffee in its second covering of 
parchment. The coffee is then exposed to a partial 
fermentation by being piled for some hours in a large 
heap. This has the effect of loosening the fleshy par- 



92 Eight Teai's^ WaJiderings in Ceylon. 

tides, which, by washing in a cistern of running water, 
are detached from the berr^^ It is then rendered per- 
fectly dry in the sun or by means of artificially heated 
air ; and, being packed in bags, it is forwarded to Co- 
lombo. Here it is unpacked and sent to the mill, 
which, by means of heavy rollers, detaches the parch- 
ment and under silver skin, and leaves the grayish-blue 
berry in a state for market. The injured grains are 
sorted out by women, and the coffee is packed for the 
last time and shipped to England. 

A good and well-managed estate should produce an 
average crop of ten hundredweight per acre, leaving a 
net profit of fifteen shillings per hundredweight under 
favorable circumstances. Unfortunately, it is next to 
impossible to make definite calculations in all agricul- 
tural pursuits : the inclemency of seasons and the at- 
tacks of vermin are constantly marring the planter's 
expectations. Among the latter plagues the "bug" 
stands foremost. This is a minute and gregarious in- 
sect, which lives upon the juices of the coflfee tree, and 
accordingly is most destructive to an estate. It attacks 
a variety of plants, but more particularly the tribe of 
jessamine ; thus the common jessamine, the " Gardenia" 
(Cape jessamine) and the coffee {Jasininum Ara- 
bictC7n) are more especially subject to its ravages. 

The dwelling of this insect is frequently confounded 
with the living creature itself. This dwelling is in 
shape and appearance like the back shell of a tortoise, 
or, still more, like a " limpet," being attached to the 
stem of the tree in the same manner that the latter ad- 
heres to a rock. This is the nest or house, which, al- 
though no larger than a split hempseed, contains some 
hundreds of the "bus:." As some thousands of these 



The Coffee Bug—Rah. 93 

scaly nests exist upon one tree, myriads of insects 
must be feeding upon its juices. 

The effect produced upon the tree is a blackened and 
sooty appearance, like a London shrub ; the branches 
look withered, and the berries do not plump out to 
their full size, but, for the most part, fall unripened 
from the .tree. This attack is usually of about two 
years' duration ; after which time the tree loses its 
blackened appearance, which peels oflf the surface of 
the leaves like gold-beaters' skin, and they appear in 
their natural color. Coffee plants of young growth are 
liable to complete destruction if severely attacked b}- 
"bug." 

Rats are also very destructive to an estate ; they are 
great adepts at pruning, and completely strip the trees 
of their young shoots, thus utterly destroying a crop. 
These vermin are more easily guarded against than the 
insect tribe, and should be destroyed by poison. Hog's 
lard, ground cocoa-nut and phosphorus form the most 
certain bait and poison combined. 

These are some of the drawbacks to coffee-planting, 
to say nothing of bad seasons and fluctuating prices, 
which, if properly calculated, considerably lessen the 
average profits of an estate, as it must be remembered 
that while a crop is reduced in quantity, the expenses 
continue at the usual rate, and are severely felt when 
consecutive years bring no produce to meet them. 

Were it not for the poverty of the soil, the stock of 
cattle required on a coffee estate for the purpose of 
manure might be made extremely profitable, and the 
gain upon fatted stock would pay for the expense 
of manuring the estate. This would be the first and 
most reasonable idea to occur to an agriculturist — " buy 



94 ^ight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon, 

poor cattle at a low price, fatten them for the butcher, 
and they give both profit and manure." 

Unfortunately, the natural pasturage is not sufficiently 
good to fatten beasts indiscriminately. There are some 
few out of a herd of a hundred who will grow fat upon 
anything, but the generality will not improve to any 
great degree. This accounts for the scarcity of fine 
meat throughout Ceylon. Were the soil only tolerably 
good, so that oats, vetches, turnips and mangel wurtzel 
could be grown on virgin land without manure, beasts 
might be stall-fed, the manure doubled by that method, 
and a profit made on the animals. Pigs are now kept 
extensively on coffee estates for the sake of their manure, 
and being fed on Mauritius grass (a coarse description 
of gigantic "couch") and a liberal allowance of cocoa- 
nut oil cake (" poonac"), are found to succeed, although 
the manure is somewhat costly. 

English or Australian sheep have hitherto been un- 
tried — for what reason I cannot imagine, unless from 
the expense of their prime cost, which is about two 
pounds per head. These thrive to such perfection at 
Newera Ellia, and also in Kandy, that they should suc- 
ceed in a high degree in the medium altitudes of the 
coffee estates. There are immense tracts of country 
peculiarly adapted for sheep-farming throughout the 
highlands of Ceylon, especially in the neighborhood of 
the coffee estates. There are two enemies, however, 
against which they would have to contend — viz., 
"leopards" and "leeches." The former are so destruc- 
tive that the shepherd could never lose sight of his 
flock without great risk ; but the latter, although trou 
blesome, are not to be so much dreaded as people sup- 
pose. They are very small, and the quantity of blood 



Attack of a Leopard, q5 

drawn by their bite is so trifling that no injury could 
possibly follow, unless from the flies, which would be 
apt to attack the sheep on the smell of blood. These 
are drawbacks which might be easily avoided by com- 
mon precaution, and I feel thoroughly convinced that 
sheep-farming upon the highland pasturage would be a 
valuable adjunct to a coffee estate, both as productive 
of manure and profit. I have heard the same opinion 
expressed by an experienced Australian sheep-farmer. 

This might be experimented upon in the "down" 
country of Ouva with great hopes of success, and by a 
commencement upon a small scale the risk would be 
trifling. Here there is an immense tract of country 
with a peculiar short grass in every way adapted for 
sheep-pasturage, and with the additional advantage of 
being nearly free from leopards. Should sheep succeed 
on an extensive scale the advantage to the farmer and 
to the c6lony would be mutual. 

The depredations of leopards among cattle are no in- 
considerable causes of loss. At Newera Ellia hardly a 
week passes without some casualty among the st5ck of 
different proprietors. Here the leopards are particu- 
larly daring, and cases have frequently occurred where 
they have effected their entrance to a cattle-shed by 
scratching a hole through the thatched roof. They 
then commit a wholesale slaughter among sheep and 
cattle. Sometimes, however, they catch a *' Tartar." 
The native cattle are small, but very active, and the 
cows are particularly savage when the calf is with 
them. 

About three years ago a leopard took it into his head 
to try the beefsteaks of a very savage and sharp-horned 
cow, who with her calf was the property of the black 



96 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

smith. It was a dark, rainy night, the blacksmith and 
his wife were in bed, and the cow and her calf were 
nestled in the warm straw in the cattle-shed. The 
door was locked, and all was apparently secure, when 
the hungry leopard prowled stealthily round the cow- 
house, sniffing the prey within. The scent of the 
leopard at once aroused the keen senses of the cow, 
made doubly acute by her anxiety for her little charge, 
and she stood ready for the danger as the leopard, hav- 
ing mounted on the roof, commenced scratching his 
way through the thatch. 

Down he sprang ! — but at the same instant, with a 
splendid charge, the cow pinned him against the wall, 
and a battle ensued which can easily be imagined. A 
coolie slept in the corner of the cattle-shed, whose 
wandering senses were completely scattered when he 
found himself the unwilling umpire of the fight. 

He rushed out and shut the door. In a few minutes 
he succeeded in awakening the blacksmith, who struck 
a light and proceeded to load a pistol, the only weapon 
that life possessed. During the whole of this time the 
bellowing of the cow, the roars of the leopard and the 
thumping, trampling and shuffling which proceeded 
from the cattle-shed, explained the savage nature of the 
fight. 

The blacksmith, who was no sportsman, shortly 
found himself with a lanthorn in one hand, a pistol in 
the other, and no idea of what he meant to do. He 
waited, therefore, at the cattle-shed door, and holding 
the light so as to shine through the numerous small 
apertures in the shed, he looked in. 

The leopard no longer growled ; but the cow was 
mad with fury. She alternately threw a large dark 



Leopards and Chetahs. 97 

mass above her head, then quickly pinned it to the 
ground on Its descent, then bored it against the wall, as 
it crawled helplessly toward a corner of the shed. This 
was the " beef-eater" in reduced circumstances ! The 
gallant little cow had nearly killed him, and was giving 
him the finishing strokes. The blacksmith perceived 
the leopard's helpless state, and, boldly opening the 
door, he discharged his pistol, and the next moment 
was bolting as hard as he could run, with the warlike 
cow after him. She was regularly '"-up," and was 
ready for anything or anybody. However, she was at 
length pacified, and the dying leopard was j>ut out of 
his misery. 

There are two distinct species of the leopard in 
Ceylon — viz., the *' chetah," and the "leopard" or 
" panther." There have been many opinions on the 
subject, but I have taken particular notice of the two 
animals, and nothing can be more clear than the dis- 
tinction. 

The 1' chetah" is much smaller than the leopard, 
seldom exceeding seven feet from the nose to the end 
of the tail. He is cpvered with round black '•''spots" 
of the size of a shilling, and his weight rarely exceeds 
ninety pounds. 

The leopard varies from eight to nine feet in length, 
and has been known to reach even ten feet. His body 
is covered with black *' ring's" with a rich brown 
centre — ^liis muzzle and legs are speckled with black 
'''■spots" and his weight is from one hundred and ten 
to one hundred and seventy pounds. There is little or 
no distinction between the leopard and the panther ; 
,they are synonymous terms for a variety of species in 
different countries. In Ceylon all leopards are termed 
9 G 



pS Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

''chetahs ;" which proceeds from the general ignorance 
of the presence of the two species. 

The power of a leopard is wonderful in proportion 
to his weight. I have seen a full-grown bullock with 
its neck broken by the leopard that attacked it. It is 
the popular belief that the effect is produced by a blow 
of the paw ; this is not the case ; it is not simply the 
blow, but it is the combination of the weight, the 
power and the momentum of the spring which renders 
the effects of a leopard's attack so surprising. 

Few leopards rush boldly to the attack like a dog ; 
they stalk their game and advance crouchingly, making 
use of every object that will afford them cover until 
they are within a few bounds of their prey. Then the 
immense power of muscle is' displayed in the concen- 
trated energy of the spring ; he flies through the air and 
settles on the throat, usually throwing his own body 
over the animal, while his teeth and claws are fixed on 
the neck ; this is the manner in which the spine of an 
animal is broken— by a sudden twist, and not by a 
blow. 

The blow from the paw is nevertheless immensely 
powerful, and at one stroke will rip open a bullock like 
a knife ; but the after effects of the wound are still more 
to be dreaded than the force of the blow. There is a 
peculiar poison in the claw which is highly dangerous. 
This is caused by the putrid flesh which they are con- 
stantly tearing, and which is apt to cause gangrene by 
inoculation. 

It is a prevalent idea that a leopard will not eat 
putrid meat, but that he forsakes a rotten carcase and 
seeks fresh prey. There is no doubt that a natural 
'ove of slaughter induces him to a constant search for 



Boy Devoured. 99 

prey, but it has nothing to do with the daintiness of 
his appetite. A leopard will eat any stinking offal 
that offers, and I once had a melancholy proof of this. 

I was returning from a morning's hunting ; it was a 
bitter day ; the rain was pouring in torrents, the wind 
.>vas blowing a gale and sweeping the water in sheets 
along the earth. The hounds were following at my 
horse's heels, with their ears and sterns down, looking 
very miserable, and altogether it was a day when man 
and beast should have been at home. Presently, upon 
turning a corner of the road, I saw a Malabar boy of 
about sixteen years of age, squatted shivering by the 
roadside. His only covering being a scanty cloth round 
his loins, I told him to get up and go on or he would 
be starved with cold. He said something in reply, 
which I could not understand, and, repeating my first 
warning, I rode on. It was only two miles to my 
house, but upon arrival I could not help thinking that 
'the boy must be ill, and having watched the gate for 
some time to see if he passed by, I determined to send 
for him. 

Accordingly, I started off a couple of men with orders 
to carry him up if he were sick. 

They returned in little more than an hour, but the 
poor boy was dead ! — sitting crouched in the same 
position in which I had seen him. He must have died 
of cold and starvation ; he was a mere skeleton. 

I sent men to the spot, and had him buried by the 
roadside, and a few days after I rode down to see where 
they had laid him. 

A quantity of fresh-turned earth lay scattered about, 
mmgled with fragments of rags. Bones much gnawed 
lay here and there on the road, and a putrid skull h»d 



roo Kight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon. 

rolled from a shapeless- hole among a confused and 
horrible heap. The leopards had scratched him up 
and devoured him ; their footprints were still fresh 
upon the damp ground. 

Both leopards and chetahs are frequently caught at 
Newera Ell'ia. The common trap is nothing more or 
less than an old-fashioned mouse-trap, with a falling 
door on a large scale ; this is baited with a live kid or 
sheep ; but the leopard is naturally so wary that he 
frequently refuses to enter the ominous-looking build- 
ing, although he would not hesitate to break into an 
ordinary shed. The best kind of trap is a gun set with 
a line, and the bait placed so that the line must be 
touched as the animal advances toward it. This is 
certain destruction to the leopard, but it is extremely 
dangerous, in case any stranger should happen to be in 
the neighborhood who might inadvertently touch the 
cord. , 

Leopards are particularly fond of stealing dogs, and 
have frequently taken them from the very verandas of 
the houses at Newera EUia in the dusk of the evening. 
Two or three cases have occurred within the last two 
years where they have actually sprung out upon dogs 
who have been accompanjang their owners upon the 
high road in broad daylight. Their destruction should 
be encouraged by a government reward of one pound 
per head, in which case their number would be ma- 
terially decreased in a few years. 

The best traps for chetahs would be very powerful 
vermin-gins, made expressly of great size and strength, 
so as to lie one foot square when open. Even a com- 
mon jackal-trap would hold a leopard, provided the 
chain was fastened to an elastic bough, so that it would 



Ti'aps. loi 

yield slightly to his spring ; but if it were secured to a 
post, or to anything that would enable him to get a 
dead pull against it, something would most likely give 
way. I have constantly set these traps for them, but 
always without success, as some other kind of vermin 
is nearly certain to spring the trap before the chetah's 
arrival. Among the variety of small animals thus 
caught I have frequently taken the civet cat. This is a 
very pretty and curious creature, about forty inches 
long from nose to tip of tail. The fur is ash-gray, 
mottled with black spots, and the tail is divided by 
numerous black rings. It is of the genius Viverra^ 
and is exceedingly fierce when attacked. It preys 
chiefly upon fowls, hares, rats, etc. Its great peculi- 
arity is the musk-bag or gland situated nearly under 
the tail ; this is a projecting and valved gland, which 
secretes the musk, and is used medicinally by the 
Cingalese, on which account it is valued at about six 
shillings a pod. The smell is very powerful, and in 
my opinion very offensive, when the animal is alive ; 
but Vk^hen a pod of musk is extracted and dried, it has 
nothing more than the well-known scent of that used 
by perfumers. The latter is more frequently thje pro- 
duction of the musk-deer, although the scent is pos- 
sessed by many animals, and also insects, as the musk- 
ox, the musk-deer, the civet or musk-cat, the musk-rat, 
,the musk-beetle, etc. 

Of these, the musk-rat is a terrible plague, as he per- 
fumes everything that he passes over, rendering fruit, 
cake, bread, etc., perfectly uneatable, and even flavor- 
ing bottled wine, by running over the bottles. This, 
however, requires a little explanation, although it is the 
populai belief that laei taints the wine through the glass* 



I02 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon. 

The fact is, he taints the cork, and the flavor of musk 
is communicated to the wine during the process of un- 
corking the bottle. 

There is a great variety of rats in Ceylon, from the 
tiny shrew to the large " bandicoot." This is a most 
destructive creature in all gardens, particularly among 
potato crops, whole rows of which he digs out and 
devours. He is a perfect rat in appearance, but he 
would rather astonish one of our English tom-cats if 
encountered during his rambles in search of rats, as the 
*' bandicoot" is about the same size as the cat. 

There is an immense variety of vermin throughout 
Ceylon, including many of that useful species the 
ichneumon, who in courage and strength stands first 
of his tribe. The destruction of snakes by this animal 
renders him particularly respected, and no person ever 
thinks of destroying him. No matter how venomous 
the snake, the ichneumon, or mongoose, goes straight 
at him, and never gives up the contest until the snake 
is vanquished. 

It is the popular belief that the mongoose eats some 
herb which has the property of counteracting the effects 
of a venomous bite ; but this has b^en proved to be a 
fallacy, as pitched battles have been witnessed between 
a mongoose and the most poisonous snakes in a closed 
room, where there was no possibility of his procuring 
the antidote. His power consists in his vigilance and 
activity ; he avoids the dart of the snake, and adroitly 
pins him by the back of the neck. Here he maintains 
his hold, in spite of the contortions and convulsive 
writhing of the snake, until he succeeds in breaking 
the spine. A mongoose is about three feet long from 
the nose to the tip of the tail, and is of the same genus 



Vermin of Ceylon. 103 

as the civet cat. Unfortunately, he does not confine his 
destruction to vermin, but now and then pays a visit to 
a hen-roost, and sometimes, poor fellow ! he puts his 
foot in the traps. 

Ceylon can produce an enticing catalogue of attrac- 
tions, from the smallest to the largest of the enemies to 
the human race — ticks, bugs, fleas, tarantulas, centi- 
pedes, scorpions, leeches, snakes, lizards, crocodiles, 
etc., of which, more hereafter. 




CHAPTER VI. 

" GAME eyes" for WILD SPORTS — ENJOYMENTS OF WIl^ LIFB 
— CRUELTY OF SPORTS — NATIVE HUNTERS — MOORMEN 
TRADERS — THEIR WRETCHED GUNS — RIFLES AND SMOOTH- 
BORES — HEAVY BALLS AND HEAVY METAL — SEATTLE'S 
RIFLES — BALLS AND PATCHES — EXPERIMENTS — THE DOU- 
BLE-GROOVE — POWER OF HEAVY METAL — CURIOUS SHOT 
AT A BULL ELEPHANT — AFRICAN AND CEYLON ELEPHANTS 
STRUCTURE OF SKULL — LACK OF TROPHIES — ^BOAR- 
SPEARS AND HUNTING-KNIVES — BERTRAM — A BOAR HUNT 
— FATAL CUT. 

IN traveling through Ceylon, the remark is often 
made by the tourist that " he sees so little game." 
From the accounts generally written of its birds and 
oeasts, a stranger would naturally expect to come upon 
them at every turn, instead of which it is a well-known 
fact that one hundred miles of the wildest country may 
be traversed without seeing a single head of game, and 
the uninitiated might become skeptical as to its exist- 
ence. 

This is accounted for by the immense proportion of 
forest and jungle, compared to the open country. The 
nature of wild aijimals is to seek cover at sunrise, and 
to come forth at sunset ; therefore it is not surprising 
that so few are casually seen by the passing traveler. 
There is another reason, which would frequently apply 
104 



^^ Game Eyes*^ for Wild Sports. 105 

even in an open country. Unless the traveler is well 
accustomed to wild sports, he has not his "game eye" 
open in fact ; he either passes animals without observ- 
ing them, or they see him and retreat from view before 
he remarks them. 

It is well known that the color of most animals is 
adapted by Nature to the general tint of the country 
which they inhabit. Thus, having no contrast, the 
animal matches with surrounding objects, and is diffi- 
cult to be distinguished. 

It may appear ridiculous to say that an elephant is 
very difficult to be seen ! — he would be plain enough 
certainly on the snow, or on a bright green meadow in 
England, where the contrasted colors would make him 
at once a striking object ; but in a dense jungle his 
skin matches so completely with the dead sticks and 
dry leaves, and his legs compare so well with the sur- 
rounding tree-stems, that he is generally unperceived 
by a stranger, even when pointed out to him. I have 
actually been taking aim at an elephant within seven 
or eight paces, when he has been perfectly unseen by a 
friend at my elbow, who was peering through the 
bushes in quest of him. 

Quickness of eye is an indispensable quality in 
sportsmen, the possession of which constitutes one of 
their little vanities. Nothing is so conducive to the 
perfection of all the senses as the constant practice in 
wild and dangerous sports. The eye and the ear be- 
come habituated to watchfulness, and their powers are 
increased in the same proportion as the muscles of the 
body are by exercise. Not only is an animal imme- 
diately observed, but anything out of the common 
among surrounding objects instantly strikes the atten- 



lo6 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon* 

tion ; the waving of one bough" in particular when all 
are moving in the breeze ; the twitching of a deer's ear 
above the long grass ; the slight rustling of an animal 
moving in the jungle. The senses are regularly tuned 
up, and the limbs are in the same condition from con- 
tinual exercise. 

There is a peculiar delight, which passes all descrip- 
tion, in feeling thoroughly well-strung, mentally and 
physically, with a good rifle in your hand and a trusty 
gun-bearer behind you with another, thus stalking 
quietly through a fine country, on the look-out for '•'•any- 
thing^'* no matter what. There is a delightful feeling 
of calm excitement, if I might so express it, which 
nothing but wild sports will give. There is no time 
when a man knows himself so thoroughly as when he 
depends upon himself, and this forms his excitement. 
With a thorough confidence in the rifle and a bright 
lookout, he stalks noiselessly along the open glades, 
picking out the softest places, avoiding the loose stones 
or anything that would betray his steps ; now piercing 
the deep shadows of the jungles, now scanning the 
distant plains, nor leaving a nook or hollow unsearched 
by his vigilant gaze. The fresh breakage .of a branch, 
the barking, of a tree-stem, the lately nibbled grass, 
with the sap still oozing from the delicate blade, the 
disturbed surface of a pool ; everything is noted, even 
to the alarmed chatter of a bird : nothing is passed un- 
heeded by an experienced hunter. 

To quiet, steady-going people in England there is an 
idea of cruelty inseparable from the pursuit of large 
game; people talk of " unoflending elephants," "poor 
buffaloes," "pretty deer," and a variety of nonsense 
about things which they cannot possibly understand. 



Cruelty of Sports. 107 

Besides, the very person who abuses wild sports on the 
plea of cruelty indulges personally in conventional 
cruelties w^liich are positive tortures. His appetite is 
not destroyed by the knowledge that his cook has 
skinned the eels alive, or that the lobsters were plunged 
into boiling water to be cooked. He should remember 
that a small animal has the same feeling as the largest, 
and if he condemns any sport as cruel, he must con- 
demn all. 

There is no doubt whatever that a certain amount of 
cruelty pervades all sports. But in " wild sports" the 
animals are for the most part large, dangerous and mis- 
chievous, and they are pursued and killed in the most 
speedy, and therefore in the most merciful, manner. 

The government reward for the destruction of ele- 
phants in Ceylon was formerly ten shillings per tail ; it 
is now reduced to seven shillings in some districts, and 
is altogether abolished in others, as the number killed 
was so great that the government imagined they could 
not afford the annual outlay. 

Although the number of these animals is still so im- 
mense in Ceylon, they must nevertheless have been 
much reduced within the last twenty years. In those 
days the country was overrun with them, and some 
idea of their numbers may be gathered from the fact 
that three first-rate shots in three days bagged one hun- 
dred and four elephants. This was told to me by one 
of the parties concerned, and it throws our modern 
shooting into the shade. In those days, however, the 
elephants were comparatively undisturbed, and they 
were accordingly more easy to approach. One of the 
oldest native hunters has assured me that he has seen 
the elephants, when attacked, recklessly expose them- 



io8 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon, 

selves to the shots and endeavor to raise their dead 
comrades. This was at a time when guns were first 
heard in the interior of Ceylon, and the animals had 
never been shot at. Since that time the decrease in the 
game of Ceylon has been immense. Every year in- 
creases the number of guns in the possession of the 
natives, and accordingly diminishes the number of 
animals. From the change which has come over 
many parts of the country within my experience of the 
last eight years, I am of opinion that the next ten years 
will see the deer-shooting in Ceylon completely spoiled, 
and the elephants very much reduced. There are now 
very few herds of elephants in Ceylon that have not 
been shot at by either Europeans or natives, and it is a 
common occurrence to kill elephants with numerous 
marks of old bullet wounds. Thus the animals are 
constantly on the " qui vive" and at the report of a 
gun every herd within hearing starts off for the densest 
jungles. 

A native can now obtain a gun for thirty shillings ; 
and with two shillings' worth of ammunition, he starts 
on a hunting trip. Five elephants, at a reward of seven 
shillings per tail, more than pay the prime cost of his 
gun, to say nothing of the deer and other game that he 
has bagged in the interim. 

Some, although very few, of the natives are good 
sportsmen in a potting way. They get close to their 
game, and usually bag it. This is a terrible system for 
destroying, and the more so as it is unceasing. There 
is no rest for the animals ; in the day-time they are 
tracked up, and on moonlight nights the drinking- 
places are watched, and an unremitting warfare is 
carried on. This is sweeping both deer and buffalo 



Native Hunters, 109 

from the country, and must eventually almost annihilate 
them. 

The Moormen are the best hunters, and they combine 
sport with trade in such a manner that " all is fish that 
comes to their net." Five or six good hunters start 
with twenty or thirty bullocks and packs. Some of 
these are loaded with common cloths, etc., to exchange 
with the village people for dried venison ; but the inten- 
tion in taking so many bullocks is to bring home the 
spoils of their hunting trip — in fact, to "carry the bag." 
They take about a dozen leaves of the talipot palm to 
form a tent, and at night-time, the packs, being taken 
off the bullocks, are piled like a pillar in the centre, 
and the talipot leaves are formed in a circular roof 
above them. The bullocks are then secured round the 
tent to long poles, which are thrown upon the ground 
and pinned down by crooked pegs. 

These people have an intimate knowledge of the 
country, and are thoroughly acquainted with the habits 
of the animals and the most likely spots for game. 
Buffaloes, pigs and deer are indiscriminately shot, and 
the flesh being cut in strips from the bones is smoked 
over a green-wood fire, then thoroughly dried in the 
sun and packed up for sale. The deer skins are also 
carefully dried and rolled up, and the buffaloes' and 
deer horns are slung to the packs. 

Many castes of natives will not eat buffalo meat, 
others will not eat pork, but all are particularly fond 
of venison. This the Moorman fully understands, and 
overcomes all scruples by a general mixture of the 
different meats, all of which he sells as venison. Thus 
no animal is spared whose flesh can be passed off for 
deer. Fortunately, their guns are so common that 
10 



no Eight l^ears* Wandei-ings in Ceylon. 

they will not shoot with accuracy beyond ten or fifteen 
paces, or there would be no game left within a few 
years. How these common guns stand the heavy 
charges of powder is a puzzle. A native thinks 
nothing of putting four drachms dowri a gun that I 
should be sorry to fire off* at any rate. It is this heavy 
charge which enables such tools to kill elephants 
which would otherwise be impossible. These natives 
look upon a first-class English rifle with a sort of vene- 
ration. Such a weapon would be a perfect fortune to 
one of these people, and I have often been astonished 
thatj'obberies of such things are not more frequent. 

There is much difference of opinion among Ceylon 
sportsmen as to the style of gun for elephant-shooting. 
But there is one point upon which all are agreed, that 
no matter what the size of the bore may be, all the 
guns should be alike, and the battery for one man 
should consist of four double-barrels. The confusion 
in hurried loading where guns are of different calibres 
is beyond conception. 

The size and the weight of guns must depend as 
much on the strength and build of a man as a ship's 
armament does upon her tonnage ; but let no man 
speak against heavy metal for heavy game, and let no 
man decry rifles and uphold smooth-bores (which is 
very general), but rather let him say, "7" ca?inot carry 
a heavy gun ^^ and '"'' I caniiot shoot with a rijle.^* 

There is a vast difference between shooting at a 
target and shooting at live game. Many men who are 
capital shots at target-practice cannot touch a deer, and 
cannot even use the rifle as a rifle at live game, but 
actually knock the sights out and use it as a smooth' 
bore. This is not the fault of the weapon ; it is the 



Rifles and Smooth-Bores. t\\ 

fault of the man. It is a common saying in Ceylon, 
and also in India, that you cannot shoot quick enough 
with the rifle, because you cannot get the proper sight 
in an instant. 

Whoever makes use of this argument must certainly 
be in the habtt of very random shooting v^rith a smooth- 
bore. How can he possibly get a correct aim with 
" ball," even out of a smooth-bore, without squinting 
along the barreland taking the muzzle-sight accurately? 
The fact is, tharmany persons fire so hastily at game 
that they take no sight at all, as though they were 
snipe-shooting with many hundred grains of shot in the 
charge. This will never do for ball-practice, and when 
the rifle is placed in such hands, the breech-sights 
naturally bother the eye which is not accustomed to 
recognize any sight ; and while the person is vainly en- 
deavoring to get the sight correctly on a moving object, 
the animal is increasing his distance. By way of 
cutting the Gordian knot, he therefore knocks his sight 
out, and accordingly spoils the shooting of the rifle 
altogether. 

Put a rifle in the hands of a man who knows how to 
handle it, and let him shoot against the mutilated 
weapon deprived of its sight, and laugh at the trial. 
Why, a man might as well take the rudder off* a ship 
because he could not steer, and then abuse the vessel 
for not keeping her course ! 

My idea of guns and rifles Is this, that the former 
should be used for what their makers intended them, 
viz., shot-shooting, and that no ball should be fired from 
any but the rifle. Of course it is just as easy and as 
certain to kill an elephant with a smooth-bore a« with 
a rifle, as he is seldom fired at until within ten or 



112 Eight Tears'' Wanderi7igs in Ceylon, 

twelve paces ; but a man, when armed for wild sport, 
should be provided with a weapon which is fit for any 
kind of ball-shooting at any reasonable range, and his 
battery should be perfect for the distance at which he is 
supposed to aim. 

I have never seen any rifles which combine the requi 
sites for Ceylon shooting to such a degree as my four 
double-barreled No. lo, which I had made to order 
Then some persons exclaim against their weight, which 
is fifteen pounds per gun. But a vi^rd upon that 
subject. 

No person who understands anything about a rifle 
would select a light gun with a large bore, any more 
than he would have a heavy carriage for a small horse. 
If the man objects to the weight of the rifle, let him 
content himself with a smaller bore, but do not rob the 
barrels of their good metal for the sake of a heavy ball. 
The more metal that the barrel possesses in proportion 
to the diameter of the bore, the better will the rifle 
carry, nine times out of ten. Observe the Swiss rifles 
for accurate target-practice — again, remark the Ameri- 
can pea rifle ; in both the thickness of metal is immense 
in proportion to the size of the ball, which, in great 
measure, accounts for the precision with which they 
carry. 

In a light barrel, there is a vibration or jar at the 
time of explosion, which takes a certain effect upon the 
direction of the ball. This is necessarily increased by 
the use of a heavy charge of powder ; and it is fre- 
quently seen that a rifle which carries accurately enough 
with a very small charge, shoots wide of the mark 
when the charge is increased. This arises from several 
causes, generally from the jar of the barrel in the stock, 



Heavy Balls and Heavy Met aL 113 

proceeding either from the want of metal in the rifle 
or from improper workmanship in the fittings. 

To avoid this, a rifle should be made with double 
bolts, and a silver plate should always be let into the 
stock under the breech ; without which the woodwork 
will imperceptibly wear, and the barrel will become 
loose in the stock and jar when fired. 

There is another reason for the necessity of heavy 
barrels, especially for two-grooved rifles. Unless the 
grooves be tilerably deep, they will not hold the ball 
when a heavy charge is behind it ; it quits the grooves, 
strips its belt, and flies out as though fired from a 
smooth-bore. 

A large-bore rifle is a useless incumbrance, unless 
it is so constructed that it will bear a proportionate 
charge of powder, and shoot as accurately with its 
proof charge as with a single drachm. The object in 
having a large bore is to possess an extra powerful 
weapon, therefore the charge of powder must be in- 
creased in proportion to the weight of the ball, or the 
extra power is not obtained. Nevertheless, most of 
the heavy rifles that I have met with will not carry an 
adequate charge of powder, and they are accordingly 
no more powerful than guns of lighter bore which 
carry their proportionate charge — the powder has more 
than its fair amount of work. 

Great care should be therefore taken in making rifles 
for heavy game. There cannot be a better calibre than 
No. 10 ; it is large enough for any animal in the world, 
and a double-barreled rifle of this bore, w^ithout a ram- 
rod, is not the least cumbersome, even at the weight of 
fifteen pounds. A ramrod is not required to be in the 
i(un for Ceylon shooting, as there is always a man 
10* H 



114 Eight Tears' Wandering's in Ceylon. 

behind with a spare rifle, who carries a loading rod ; 
and were a ramrod fitted to a rifle of this size, it would 
render it very unhandy, and would also weaken the 
stock. 

The sights should *be of platinum at the muzzle, and 
blue steel, with a platinum strip with a broad and deep 
letter V cut in the breech-sights. In a gloomy forest 
it is frequently difficult to catch the muzzle sight, un- 
less it is of some bright metal, such as silver or plati- 
num ; and a broad cut in the breech-sight^ if shaped as 
described, allows a rapid aim, and may be taken fine 
or coarse at option. 

The charge of powder must necessarily depend upon 
its strength. For elephant-shooting, I always use six 
drachms of the best powder for the No. lo rifles, and 
four drachms as the minimum charge for deer and 
general shooting ; the larger charge is then unnecessary ; 
it both wastes ammunition and alarms the country by 
the loudness of the report. 

There are several minutiae to be attended to in the 
sports of Ceylon. The caps should always be carried 
in a shot-charger (one of the common spring-lid 
chargers) and never be kept loose in the pocket. The 
heat is so intense that the perspiration soaks through 
everything, and so injures the caps that the very best 
will frequently miss fire. 

The powder should be dried for a few minutes in the 
sun before it is put into the flask, and it should be well 
shaken and stirred to break any lumps that may be in 
it. One of these, by obstructing the passage in the 
flask, may cause much trouble in loading quickly, 
especially when a wounded elephant is regaining his 
feet. In such a case you must keep your eyes on the 



Necessary Precautions. 115 

animal while loading, and should* the passage of the 
powder-flask be stopped by a lump, you may fancy the 
gun is loaded when in fact not a grain of powder has 
entered it. 

The patches should be of silk, soaked in a mixture 
of one part of beeswax and two of fresh hog's lard, 
fre^ from salt. If they are spread with pure grease, it 
melts out of them in a hot country, and they become 
dry. Silk is better than linen as it is not so liable to 
be cut by the sharp grooves of the rifle. It is also 
thinner than linen or calico, and the ball is therefore 
more easily rammed down. 

All balls should be made of pure lead, without any 
hardening mixture. It was formerly the fashion to use 
zinc balls, and lead with a mixture of tin, etc., in ele- 
phant-shooting. This was not only unnecessary, but 
the balls, from a loss of weight by admixture with 
lighter nietals, lost force in a proportionate degree. 
Lead may be a soft metal, but it is much harder than 
any animal's skull, and if a tallow candle can be shot 
through a deal board, surely a leaden bullet is hard 
enough for an elephant's head. 

I once tried a very conclusive experiment on the 
power of balls of various metals propelled by an equal 
charge of powder. 

I had a piece of wrought iron five-eights of an inch 
thick, and six feet high by two in breadth. I fired at 
this at one hundred and seventy yards with my two- 
grooved four-ounce rifle, with a reduced charge of six 
drachms of powder and a ball of pure lead. It bulged 
the iron like a piece of putty, and split the centre of 
the bulged spot into a star, through the crevice of which 
I could pass a pen-blade. 



il6 Eight Tecirs^ Wanderings tn Ceylon, 

A ball composed of half zinc and half lead, fired 
from the same distance, hardly produced a perceptible 
effect upon the iron target. It just slightly indented it. 

I then tried a ball of one-third zinc and two-thirds 
lead, but there was no perceptible difference in the 
effect. 

I subsequently tried a tin ball, and again a zinc ball, 
but neither of them produced any other effect than 
slightly to indent the iron. 

I tried all these experiments again at fifty yards* 
range, with the same advantage in favor of the pure 
lead ; and at this reduced distance a double-barreled 
No. 1 6 smooth-bore, with a large charge of four 
drachms of powder and a lead ball, also bulged and 
split the iron into a star. This gun, v^'ith a hard tin 
ball and the same charge of powder, did not produce 
any other effect than an almost imperceptible indenta- 
tion. 

If a person wishes to harden a ball for any purpose, 
it should be done by an admixture of quicksilver to the 
lead while the latter is in a state of fusion, a few sec- 
onds before the ball is cast. The mixture must be then 
quickly stirred with an iron rod, and formed into the 
moulds without loss of time, as at this high tempera- 
ture the quicksilver will evaporate. Quicksilver is 
heavier than lead, and makes a ball excessively hard ; 
so much so that it would very soon spoil a rifle. Al- 
together, the hardening of a ball has been shown to be 
perfectly unnecessary, and the latter receipt would be 
found very expensive. 

If a wonderful effect is required, the steel-tipped 
conical ball should be used. I once shot through four- 
teen elm planks, each one inch thick, with a four-ounce 



The Double 'Groove, 117 

steel-tipped cone, with the small charge (for that rifle) 
of four drachms of powder. The proper charge for 
that gun is one-fourth the weight of the ball, or one 
ounce of powder, with which it carries with great 
nicety and terrific effect, owing to its great weight of 
metal (twenty-one pounds) ; but it is a small piece of 
artillery, which tries the shoulder very severely in the 
recoil. 

I have frequently watched a party of soldiers wind 
ing along a pass, with their white trousers, red coats, 
white cross-belts and brass plates, at about four hun- 
dred yards, and thought what a raking that rifle would 
give a body of troops in such colors for a mark. A 
ball of that weight, with an ounce of powder, would 
knock down six or eight men in a row. A dozen of 
such weapons well handled on board a ship would 
create an astonishing effect ; but for most purposes the 
weight of the ammunition is a serious objection. 

There is a great difference of opinion among sports- 
men regarding the grooves of a rifle ; some prefer the 
two-groove and belted ball ; others give preference to 
the eight or twelve-groove and smooth-bore. There 
are good arguments on both sides. 

There is no doubt that the two-groove is the hardest 
hitter and the longest ranger ; it also has the advantage 
of not fouling so quickly as the many-grooved. On 
the other hand, the many-grooved is much easier to 
load ; it hits quite hard enough ; and it ranges truly 
much farther than any person would think of firing at 
an animal. Therefore, for sporting purposes, the only 
advantage which the two-groove possesses is the keep- 
ing clean, while the many-groove claims the advantage 
of quick loading. 



Ii8 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon* 

The latter is by far the more important recommenda* 
tion, especially as the many-groove can be loaded with- 
out the assistance of the eye, as the ball, being smooth 
and round, can only follow the right road down the 
barrel. The two-grooved rifle, when new, is particu- 
larly difficult to load, as the ball must be tight to avoid 
windage, and it requires some nicety in fitting and 
pressing the belt of the ball inta the groove, in such a 
manner that it shall start straight upon the pressure of 
the loading-rod. If it gives a slight heel to one side at 
the commencement, it is certain to stick in its course, 
and it then occupies much time and trouble in being 
rammed home. Neither will it shoot with accuracy, 
as, from the amount of ramming to get the ball to its 
place, it has become so misshapen that it is a mere 
lump of lead, and no longer a rifle-ball. 

My double-barreled No. lo rifles are two-grooved, 
and an infinity of trouble they gave me for the first two 
years. Many a time I have been giving my whole 
weight to the loading rod, with a ball stuck half-way 
down the barrel, while wounded elephants lay strug- 
gling upon the ground, expected every moment to rise. 
From constant use and repeated cleaning they have now 
become so perfect that they load with the greatest ease ; 
but guns of their age are not fair samples of their class, 
and for rifles in general for sporting purposes I should 
give a decided preference to the many-groove. I have 
had a long two-ounce rifle of the latter class, which I 
have shot with for many years, and it certainly is not 
so hard a hitter as the two-grooved No. lo's ; but it hits 
uncommonly hard, too ; and if I do not bag with it, it 
is always my fault, and no blame can be attached to 
the rifle. 



Power of Hea'Oy Metal. 119 

For heavy game-shooting, I do not think there can 
be a much fairer standard for the charge of powdei 
than one-fifth the weight of the ball for all bores. 
Some persons do not use so much as this ; but I am 
always an advocate for strong guns and plenty of 
powder. 

A heavy charge will reach the brain of an elephant, 
no matter in what position he may stand, provided a 
proper angle is taken for attaining it. A trifling 
amount of powder is sufficient, if the elephant offers a 
front shot, or the temple at right angles, or the ear 
shot; but if a man pretend to a knowledge of elephant- 
shooting, he should think of nothing but the brain, and 
his knowledge of the anatomy of the elephant's head 
should be such that he can direct a straight line to this 
mark from any position. He then requires a rifle of 
such power that the ball will crash through every 
obstacle along the course directed. To effect this he 
must not be stingy of the powder. 

I have frequently killed elephants by curious shots 
with the heavy rifles in this manner ; but I once killed 
a bull elephant by one shot in the upper jaw, which 
will at once exemplify the advantage of a powerful rifle 
in taking the angle for the brain. 

My friend Palliser and I were out shooting on the 
day previous, and we had spent some hours in vainly 
endeavoring to track up a single bull elephant. I for- 
get what we bagged, but I recollect well that we were 
unlucky in finding our legitimate game. That night at 
dinner we heard elephants roaring in the Yal.'e river, 
upon the banks of which our tent was pitched in fine 
open forest. For about an hour the roaring was conr 
tinued, apparently on both sides the river, and w* im- 



I^O ^ight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

mediately surmised that our gentleman friend on out 
side of the stream was answering the call of the ladies 
of some herd on the opposite bank. We went to sleep 
with the intention of waking at dawn of day, and then 
strolling quietly along with only two gun-bearers each, 
who were to carry my four double No lo's, while we 
each carried a single barrel for deer. 

The earliest gray tint of morning saw us dressed and 
ready, the rifles loaded, a preliminary cup of hot 
chocolate swallowed, and we were off* while the forest 
was still gloomy ; the night seemed to hang about it, 
although the sky was rapidly clearing above. 

A noble piece of Nature's handiwork is that same 
Yalle forest. The river flows sluggishly through its 
centre in a breadth of perhaps ninety yards, and the im- 
mense forest trees extend their giant arms from the high 
banks above the stream, throwing dark shadows upon 
its surface, enlivened by the silvery glitter of the fish as 
they dart against the current. Little glades of rank 
grass occasionally break the monotony of the dark 
forest ; sandy gullies in deep beds formed by the tor- 
rents of the rainy season cut through the crumbling 
soil and drain toward the river. Thick brushwood 
now and then forms an opposing barrier, but generally 
the forest is beautifully open, consisting of towering 
trees, the leviathans of their race, sheltering the scanty 
saplings which have sprung from their fallen seeds. 
For a few hundred yards on either side of the river the 
forest extends in a ribbon-like strip of lofty vegetation 
in the surrounding sea of low scrubby jungle. The 
animals leave the low jungle at night, passing through 
the forest on their way to the river to bathe and drink ; 
they return to the low and thick jungle at break of day, 



Curious Shot at a Bull JSlephant, 121 

and we hoped to meet some of the satiated elephants on 
their way to their dense habitations. 

We almost made sure of finding our friend of yester- 
day's track, and we accordingly kept close to the edge 
of the river, keeping a sharp eye for tracks upon the 
sandy bed below. 

We had strolled for about a mile along the high bank 
of the river without seeing a sign of an elephant, when 
I presently heard a rustle in the branches before me, 
and upon looking up I saw a lot of monkeys gamboling 
in the trees. I was carrying my long two-ounce rifle, 
and I was passing beneath the monkey-covered boughs, 
when I suddenly observed a young tree of the thickness 
of a man's thigh shaking violently just before me. 

It happened that the jungle was a little thicker in 
this spot, and at the same moment that I observed the 
tree shaking almost over me, I passed the immense 
stem of one of those smooth-barked trees which grow 
to such an enormous size on the banks of rivers. At 
the same moment that I passed it I was almost under 
the trunk of a single bull elephant, who was barking 
the stem with his tusk as high as he could reach, with 
his head thrown back. I saw in an instant that the 
only road to his brain lay through his upper jaw, in the 
position in which he was standing ; and knowing that 
he would discover me in another moment, I took the 
eccentric line for his brain, and fired upward through 
his jaw. He fell stone dead, with the silk patch of the 
rifle smoking in the wound. 

Now in this position no light gun could have killed 

that elephant ; the ball had to pass through the roots 

of the upper grinders, and keep its course through hard 

Dones and tough membranes for about two feet before 

11 



122 Eight Tears* Wandering's in Ceylon, 

it could reach the brain ; but the line was all right, and 
the heavy metal and charge of powder kept the ball to 
its work. 

This is the power which every elephant-gun should 
possess : it should have an elephant's head under com- 
plete command in every attitude. 

There is another advantage in heavy metal ; a heavy 
ball will frequently stun a vicious elephant when in full 
charge, when a light ball would not check him ; his 
quietus is then soon arranged by another barrel. Some 
jDersons, however, place too much confidence in the 
weight of the metal, and forget that it is necessary to 
hold a powerful rifle as straight as the smallest gun. 
It is then very common during a chase of a herd to see 
the elephants falling tolerably well to the shots, but 
on a return for their tails, it is found that the stunned 
brutes have recovered and decamped. 

Conical balls should never be used for elephants ; 
they are more apt to glance, and the concussion is not 
so great as that produced by a round ball. In fact there 
is nothing more perfect for sporting purposes than a 
good rifle from a first-rate maker, with a plain ball of 
from No. 12 to No. 10. There can be no improvement 
upon such a weapon for the range generally required 
by a good shot. 

I am very confident that the African elephant would 
be killed by the brain-shot by Ceylon sportsmen with as 
much ease as the Indian species. The shape of the 
head has nothing whatever to do with the shooting, 
orovided the guns are powerful and the hunter knows 
where the brain lies. 

When I arrived in Ceylon one of my first visits was 
to the museum at Colombo. Here I carefully examined 



Structure of Skull, 1 23 

the transverse sections of an elephant's skull, until per- 
fectly acquainted with its details. From the museum I 
went straight to the elephant-stables and thoroughly 
examined the head of the living animal, comparing it 
in my own mind with the skull, until I was thoroughly 
certain of the position of the brain and the possibility 
of reaching it from any position. 

An African sportsman would be a long time in kill- 
ing a Ceylon elephant, if he fired at the long range 
described by most writers ; in fact, he would not kill 
one out of twenty that he fired at in such a jungle-cov- 
ered country as Ceylon, where, in most cases, every- 
thing depends upon the success of the first barrel. 

It is the fashion in Ceylon to get as close as possible 
to an elephant before firing ; this is usually at about ten 
yards' distance, at which range nearly every shot must 
be fatal. In Africa, according to all accounts, ele- 
phants are fired at at thirty, forty, and even at sixty 
yards. It is no wonder, therefore, that African sports- 
men take the shoulder shot, as the hitting of the brain 
would be a most difficult feat at such a distance, seeing 
that the even and dusky color of an elephant's head 
offers no peculiar mark for a delicate aim. 

The first thing that a good sportsman considers with 
every animal is the point at which to aim so to bag him 
as speedily as possible. It is well known that all ani- 
mals, from the smallest to the largest, sink into instant 
death when shot through the brain ; and that a wound 
through the lungs or heart is equally fatal, though not 
so instantaneous. These are accordingly the points for 
aim, the brain, from its small size, being the most diffi- 
cult to hit. Nevertheless, in a jungle country, elephants 
must be shot through the brain, otherwise they would 



124 Eight Tears* Wct.nderings in Ceylon, 

not be bagged, as they would retreat with a mortal 
wound into such dense jungle that no man could follow. 
Seeing how easily they are dropped by the brain-shot 
if approached sufficiently near to ensure the correctness 
of the aim, no one would ever think of firing at the 
shoulder who had been accustomed to aim at the head. 

A Ceylon sportsman arriving in Africa would natu- 
rally examine the skull of the African elephant, and 
when once certain of the position of the brain he 
would require no further information. Leave him 
alone for hitting it if he knew where it was. 

What a sight for a Ceylon elephant-hunter would be 
the first view of a herd of African elephants — all tusk- 
ers ! In Ceylon, a " tusker" is a kind of spectre, to be 
talked of by a few who have had the good luck to see 
one. And when he is seen by a good sportsman, it is 
an evil hour for him — he is followed till he gives up his 
tusks. 

It is a singular thing that Ceylon is the only part of 
the world where the male elephant has no tusks ; they 
have miserable little grubbers projecting two or three 
inches from the upper jaw and inclining downward. 
Thus a man may kill some hundred elephants without 
having a pair of tusks in his possession. The largest 
that I have seen in Ceylon were about six feet long, 
and five inches in diameter in the thickest part. 
These would be considered rather below the average 
in Africa, although in Ceylon they were thought mag- 
nificent. 

Nothing produces either ivory or horn in fine speci- 
mens throughout Ceylon. Although some of the buffa- 
loes have tolerably fine heads, they will not bear a 
comparison with those of other countries. The horns 



Lack of Trophies i 125 

ot the native cattle are not above four inches in length. 
The elk and the spotted deer's antlers are small com- 
pared with deer of their size on the continent of India. 
This is the more singular, as it is evident from the 
geological formation that at some remote period Ceylon 
was not an island, but formed a portion of the main 
land, from which it is now only separated by a shallow 
and rocky channel of some few miles. In India the 
bull elephants have tusks, and the cattle and buffaloes 
have very large horns. My opinion is that there are 
elements wanting in the Ceylon pasturage (which is 
generally poor) for the formation of both horn and 
ivory. Thus many years of hunting and shooting are 
rewarded by few trophies of the chase. So great is 
the natural inactivity of the natives that no one under- 
stands the preparation of the skins ; thus all the elk 
and deer hides are simply dried in the sun, and the 
hair soon rots and falls off. In India, the skin of the 
iSamber deer (the Ceylon elk) is prized above all 
others, and is manufactured into gaiters, belts, pouches, 
coats, breeches, etc. ; but in Ceylon, these things are 
entirely neglected by the miserable and indolent popu- 
lation, whose whole thoughts are concentrated upon 
their daily bread, or rather their curry and rice. 

At Newera Ellia, the immense number of elk that I 
have killed would have formed a valuable collection of 
skins had they been properly prepared, instead of 
which the hair has been singed from them, and they 
have been boiled up for dogs* meat. 

Boars* hides have shared the same fate. These are 

far thicker than those of the tame species, and should 

make excellent saddles. So tough are they upon the 

live animal <hat it requires a very sharp-pointed knife 

H* 



126 Eight Years* Wanderings in Ceytoft, 

to peretrate them, and too much care cannot be be* 
stowed upon the manufacture of a knife for this style 
of hunting, as the boar is one of the fiercest and most 
dangerous of animals. 

Living in the thickest jungles, he rambles out at 
night in search of roots, fruits, large earth-worms, or 
anything else that he can find, being, like his domesti- 
cated brethren, omnivorous. He is a terrible enemy to 
the pack, and has cost me several good dogs within the 
last few years. Without first-rate seizers it would be 
impossible to kill him with the knife without being 
ripped, as he invariably turns to bay after a short run 
in the thickest jungle he can find. There is no doubt 
that a good stout boar-spear, with a broad blade and 
strong handle, is the proper weapon for the attack ; but 
a spear is very unhandy and even dangerous to carry 
in such a hilly country as the neighborhood of Newera 
Ellia. The forests are full of steep ravines and such 
tangled underwood that following the hounds is always 
an arduous task, but with a spear in the hand it is still 
more difficult, and the point is almost certain to get 
injured by striking against the numerous rocks, in 
which case it is perfectly useless when perhaps most 
required. I never carry a spear for these reasons, but 
am content with the knife, as in my opinion any animal 
that can beat oflfgood hounds and a long knife deserves 
to escape. 

My knife was made to my own pattern by Paget of 
Piccadilly. The blade is one foot in length, and two 
inches broad in the widest part, and slightly concave in 
the middle. The steel is of the most exquisite quality, 
and the entire knife weighs three pounds. The pecu- 
liar shape added to the weight of the blade gives an 



Bertram, 127 

extraordinary force to a blow, and the blade being 
double-edged for three inches from the point, inflicts a 
fearful wound : altogether it is a very desperate weapon, 
and admirably adapted for this kind of sport. 

A feat is frequently performed by the Nepaulese by 
cutting off a buffalo's head at one blow of a sabre or 
tulwal. The blade of this weapon is peculiar, being 
concave, and the extremity is far heavier than the hilt ; 
the animal's neck is tied down to a post, so as to pro- 
duce a tension on the muscles, without which the 
blow, however great, would have a comparatively 
small effect. 

The accounts of this feat always appeared very mar- 
velous to my mind, until I one day unintentionally per- 
formed something similar on a small scale with the 
hunting-knife. 

I was out hunting in the Elk Plains, and having 
drawn several jungles blank, I ascended the mountains 
which wall in the western side of the patinas (grass- . 
plains), making sure of finding an elk near the sum- 
mit. It was a lovely day, perfectly calm and cloudless ; 
in which weather the elk, especially the large bucks, 
are in the habit of lying high up the mountains. 

I had nine couple of hounds out, among which 
were some splendid seizers, "Bertram,'* "Killbuck,'* 
"Hecate," "Bran," "Lucifer" :4nd "Lena,'* the first 
three being the progeny of the departed hero, old 
" Smut," who had been killed by a boar a short time 
before. They were then just twelve months old, and 
" Bertram" stood twenty-eight and a half inches high 
at the shoulder. To him his sire's valor had descended 
untarnished, and for a dog of his young age he was the 
most courageous that I have ever seen. In appearance 



128 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

he was a tall Manilla bloodhound, with the strength of 
a young lion ; very affectionate in disposition, and a 
general favorite, having won golden opinions in every 
contest. Whenever a big buck was at bay, and punish- 
ing the leading hounds, he was ever the first to get his 
hold ; no matter how great the danger, he never waited 
but recklessly dashed in. " There goes Bertram ! 
Look at Bertram ! Well done, Bertram !" were the con- 
stant exclamations of a crowd of excited spectators when 
a powerful buck was brought to bay. He was a wonder- 
ful dog, but I prophesied an early grave for him, as no 
dog in the world could long escape death who rushed 
so recklessly upon his dangerous game.* His sister, 
" Hecate," was more careful, and she is alive at this 
moment, and a capital seizer of great strength com- 
bined with speed, having derived the latter from her 
dam, " Lena," an Australian greyhound, than whom a 
better or truer bitch never lived. " Old Bran," and his 
beautiful son " Lucifer," were fine specimens of gray- 
hound and deerhound, and as good as gold. 

There was not a single elk track the whole of the 
way up the mountain, and upon arriving at the top, I 
gave up all hope of finding for that day, and I enjoyed 
the beautiful view over the vast valley of forest which 
lay below, spangled with green plains, and bounded by 
the towering summit of Adam's Peak, at about twenty- 
five miles' distance. The coffee estates of Dimboola lay 
far beneath upon the right, and the high mountains of 
Kirigallapotta and Totapella bounded the view upon 
the left. 

There is a good path along the narrow ridge on the 

* Speared through the body by the horns of a buck elk and killed) 
Bl^ortly after this was written. 



A Boar Hunt. 129 

summit of the Elk Plain hills, which has been made 
by elephants. This runs along the very top of the 
knife-like ridge, commanding a view of the whole 
country to the right and left. The range is terminated 
abruptly by a high peak, which descends in a sheer 
precipice at the extremity. 

I strolled along the elephant-path, intending to gain 
the extreme end of the range for the sake of the view, 
when I suddenly came upon the track of a "boar," in 
the middle of the path. It was perfectly fresh, as were 
also the plough ings in the ground close by, and the 
water of a small pool was still curling with clouds of 
mud, showing most plainly that he had been disturbed 
from his wallowing by my noise in ascending the moun- 
tain-side. 

There Was no avoiding the find ; and away went 
"Bluebeard," "Ploughboy," "Gaylass," and all the 
leading hounds, followed by the whole pack, in full 
chorus, straight along the path at top speed. Presently 
they turned sharp to the left into the thick jungle, 
dashing down the hillside as though off to the Elk 
Plains below. At this pace I knew the hunt would not 
last long, and from my elevated stand I waited impa- 
tiently for the first sounds of the bay. Round they 
turned again, up the steep hillside, and the music 
slackened a little, as the hounds had enough to do in 
bursting through the tangled bamboo up the hill. 

Presently I heard the rush of the boar in the jungle, 
coming straight up the hill toward the spot where I 
was standing ; and, fearing that he might top the ridge 
and make down the other side toward Dimboola, I 
gave him a halloo to head him back. Hark, for-r-rard 
to him ! yo-o-ick ! to him ! 

I 



13c EigJit Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon. 

Such a yell, right in his road, astonished him, and, 
as I expected, he headed sharp back. Up came the 
pack, going like race-horses, and wheeling off where the 
game had turned, a few seconds running along the side 
of the mountain, and then such a burst of music ! such 
a bay ! The boar had turned sharp round, and had 
met the hounds on a level platform on the top of a 
ridge. 

" Lucifer" never leaves my side until we are close up 
to the bay ; and plunging and tearing through the 
bamboo grass and tangled nillho for a few hundred 
yards, I at length approached the spot, and I heard 
Lord Bacon grunting and roaring loud above the din 
of the hounds. 

Bertram has him for a guinea ! Hold him, good 
lad! and away dashed " Lucifer" from my side at the 
halloo. '^'^* 

In another moment I was close up, and with my knife 
ready I broke through the dense jungle and was im- 
mediately in the open space cleared by the struggles of 
the boar and pack. Unluckily, I had appeared full in 
the boar's front, and though five or six of the large 
seizers had got their holds, he made a sudden charge 
at me that shook them all off, except " Bertram" and 
"Lena." 

It was the work of an instant, as I jumped quickly 
on o«e side, and instinctively made a downward cut at 
him in passing. He fell all of a heap, to the complete 
astonishment of myself and the furious pack. 

He was dead ! killed by one blow with the hunting- 
knife. I had struck him across the back just behind 
the shoulders, and the wound was so immense that he 
had the appearance of being nearly half divided. Not 



Herds of Wild Boars. 13: 

only was the spine severed, but the blade had cut deep 
into his vitals and produced instant death. 

One of the dogs was hanging on his hind quarters 
when he charged, and as the boar was rushing forward, 
the muscles of the back were accordingly stretched 
tight, and thus the effect of the cut was increased to 
this extraordinary degree. He was a middling-sized 
boar, as near as I could guess, about two and a half 
hundredweight. 

Fortunately none of the pack were seriously hurt, 
althougli his tusks were as sharp as a knife. This 
was owing to the short duration of the fight, atid also 
to the presence of so many seizers, who backed each 
other up without delay. 

There is no saying to what size a wild boar grows. 
I have never killed them with the hounds above four 
hundredweight ; but I have seen solitary boars in the 
low country that must have weighed nearly double. 

I believe the flesh is very good ; by the natives it is 
highly prized ; but I have so strong a prejudice against 
it from the sights I have seen of their feasting upon 
putrid elephants that I never touch it. 

The numbers of wild hogs in the low country is sur- 
prising, and they are most useful in cleaning up the 
carcases of dead animals and destroying vermin. I 
seldom or never fire at a hog in those districts, as their 
number is so great that there is no sport in shooting 
them. They travel about in herds of one and two 
hundred, and even more. These are composed of 
sows and young boars, as the latter leave the herd when 
arrived at maturity. 



CHAPTER VII. 

CURIOUS PHENOMENON — PANORAMA OF OUVA — SOUTH-WEST 
MONSOON — HUNTING FOLLOWERS — FORT M'DONALD RIVER 
— JUNGLE PATHS — DANGEROUS LOCALITY — GREAT WATER- 
FALL — START FOR HUNTING THE FIND — A GALLANT STAG 

— "bran" and "LUCIFER" — " PHRENZY's" DEATH — ^BUCK 
AT BAY — THE CAVE HUNTING-BOX — " MADCAP's" DIVE — ELK 
SOUP — FORMER INUNDATION — " BLUEBEARD" LEADS OFF — 
"HECATE's " COURSE — THE ELK"S LEAP — VARIETY OF DEER 
— THE AXIS — CEYLON BEARS — VARIETY OF VERMIN — TRIALS 
FOR HOUNDS — HOUNDS AND THEIR MASTERS — A SPORTSMAN 
" SHUT up" — ^A CORPORAL AND CENTIPEDE. 



F 



ROM June to November the south-w^est monsoon 
brings wind and mist across the Newera Ellia 
mountains. 

Clouds of white fog boil up from the Dimboola val- 
ley like the steam from a huge cauldron, and invade 
the Newera Ellia plain through the gaps in the moun- 
tains to the westward. 

The wind howls over the high ridges, cutting the 
jungle with its keen edge, so that it remains as stunted 
brushwood, and the opaque screen of driving fog and 
drizzling rain is so dense that one feels convinced there 
is no sun visible within at least a hundred miles. 

There is a curious phenomenon, however, in this 
locality. When the weather described prevails at New- 
132 



Panorafna of Ouva. 133 

era Ellia, thpre is actually not one drop of rain within 
four miles of my house in the direction of Badulla. 
Dusty roads, a cloudless sky and dazzling sunshine 
astonish the thoroughly-soaked traveler, who rides out 
of the rain and mist into a genial climate, as though he 
passed through a curtain. The wet weather terminates 
at a mountain called Hackgalla (or more properly 
Yakkadagalla, or iron rock). This bold rock, whose 
summit is about six thousand five hundred feet above 
the sea, breasts the driving wind and seems to com- 
mand the storm. The rushing clouds halt in their mad 
course upon its crest and curl in sudden impotence 
around the craggy summits. The deep ravine formed 
by an opposite mountain is filled with the vanquished 
mist, which sinks powerless in its dark gorge ; and the 
bright sun, shining from the east, spreads a perpetual 
rainbow upon the gauze-like cloud of fog which settles 
in the deep hollow. 

This is exceedingly beautiful. The perfect circle of 
the rainbow stands like a fairy spell in the giddy depth 
of the hollow, and seems to forbid the advance of the 
monsoon. All before is bright and cloudless ; the lovely 
(panorama of the Ouva country spreads before the eye 
for many miles beneath the feet. All behind is dark 
and stormy ; the wind is howling, the forests are groan- 
ing, the rain is pelting upon the hills. 

The change appears impossible ; but there it is, ever 
the same ; season after season, year after year, the rug- 
ged top of Hackgalla struggles with the storms, and 
ever victorious the cliffs smile in the sunshine on the 
eastern side ; the rainbow reappears with the monsoon, 
and its vivid circle remains like the guardian spirit of 
the valley, 
X2 



134 Eight Tear^ Wanderings in Ceylon, 

It is impossible to do justice to the extraordinar}' 
appearance of this scene by description. The pano- 
ramic view in itself is celebrated ; but as the point in 
the road is reached where the termination of the mon- 
soon dissolves the cloud and rain into a thin veil of 
mist, the panorama seen through the gauze-like atmos- 
phere has the exact appearance of a dissolving view ; 
the depth, the height and distance of every object, all 
great in reality, are magnified by the dim and unnatural 
appearance ; and by a few steps onward the veil gradu- 
ally fades away, and the distant prospect lies before the 
eye with a glassy clearness made doubly striking by the 
sudden contrast. 

The road winds along about midway up the moun- 
tain, bounded on the right by the towering cliffs and 
sloping forest of Hackgalla, and on the left by the 
almost precipitous descent of nearly one thousand feet, 
the sides of which are clothed by alternate forest and 
waving grass. At the bottom flows a torrent, whose 
roar, ascending from the hidden depth, increases the 
gloomy mystery of the scene.' 

On the north, east and south-east of Newera Ellia 
the sunshine is perpetual during the reign of the misty 
atmosphere, which the south-west monsoon drives upon 
the western side of the mountains. Thus, there is al- 
ways an escape open from the wet season at Newera 
Ellia by a short walk of three or four miles. 

A long line of dark cloud is then seen, terminated 
by a bright blue sky. So abrupt is the line and the 
cessation of the rain that it is difficult to imagine how 
the moisture is absorbed. 

This sudden termination of the cloud-capped moun- 
tain gives rise to a violent wind in the sunny valleys and 



South-west Monsoon. 135 

bare hills beneath. The chilled air of Newera Ellia 
pours down into the sun-warmed atmosphere below, 
and creates a gale that sweeps across the grassy hill- 
tops with great force, giving the sturdy rhododendrons 
an inclination to the north-east, which clearly marks the 
steadiness of the monsoon. 

It is not to be supposed, however, that Newera Ellia 
lies in unbroken gloom for months together. One 
month generally brings a share of uninterrupted bad 
weather ; this is from the middle of June to the middle 
of July. This is the commencement of the south-west 
monsoon, which usually sets in with great violence. 
The remaining portion of what is called the wet season, 
till the end of November, is about as uncertain as the 
climate of England — some days fine, others wet, and 
every now and then a week of rain at one bout. 

A thoroughly saturated soil, with a cold wind, and 
driving rain, and forests as full of water as sponges, 
are certain destroyers of scent ; hence, hunting at 
Newera Ellia is. out of the question during such 
weather. The hounds would get sadly out of condi- 
tion, were it not for the fine weather in the vicinity 
which then invites a trip. 

I have frequently walked ten miles to my hunting- 
grounds, starting before daybreak, and then, after a 
good day's sport up and down the steep mountains, I 
have returned home in the evening. But this is twelve 
hours' work, and it is game thrown away, as there is 
no possibility of getting the dead elk home. An ani- 
mal that weighs between four hundred and four hun- 
dred and ^fifty pounds without his insides, is not a very 
easy creature to move at any time, especially in such a 
steep mountainous country as the neighborhood of 



iT^b Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

Newera Ellia. As previously described, at the base 
of the mountains are cultivated rice-lands, generally 
known as paddy-fields, vvhere numerous villages have 
sprung up from the facility with which a supply of 
w^ater is obtained from the wild mountains above them. 
I have so frequently given the people elk and hogs 
which I have killed on the heights above their paddy- 
fields that they are always on the alert at the sound of 
the bugle, and a few blasts from the mountain-top im- 
mediately creates a race up from the villages, some two 
or three thousand feet below. Like vultures scenting 
carrion, they know that an elk is killed, and they start 
off to the well-known sound like a pack of trained 
hounds. 

Being thorough mountaineers, they are extraordinary 
fellows for climbing the steep grassy sides. With a 
light stick about six feet long in one hand, they will 
start from the base of the mountains and clamber up 
the hillsides in a surprisingly short space of time, such 
as would soon take the conceit out of a "would-be pe- 
destrian." This is owing to the natural advantages of 
naked feet and no inexpressibles. 

Whenever an elk has given a long run in the direc- 
tion of this country, and after a persevering and ardu- 
ous chase of many hours, I have at length killed him 
on the grassy heights above the villages, I always take 
a delight in watching the tiny specks Issuing from the 
green strips of paddy as the natives start off at the 
sound of the horn. 

At this altitude, it requires a sharp eye to discern a 
man, but at length they are seen scrambling up the 
ravines and gullies and breasting the sharp pitches, 
until at last the first man arrives thoroughly " used up ;" 



Hunting Followers. 137 

and a string of fellows of lesser wind come in, in sec- 
tions, all thoroughly blown. 

However, the first man in never gets the lion's share, 
as the poor old men, with willing spirits and weal« 
flesh, always bring up the rear, and I insist upon a fair 
division between the old and young, always giving an 
extra piece to a man who happens to know a little 
English. This is a sort of reward for acquirements, 
equivalent to a university degree, and he is considered 
a literary character by his fellows. 

There is nothing that these people appreciate so much 
^S elk and hog's flesh. Living generally upon boiled 
rice and curry composed of pumpkins and sweet pota- 
toes, they have no opportunities of tasting meat unless 
upon these occasions. 

During the very wet weather at Newera Ellia I 
sometimes take the pack and bivouac for a fortnight in 
the fine-weather country. About a week previous I 
send down word to the village people of my intention, 
but upon these occasions I x\t.\^\- give them the elk. I 
always insist upon their bringing rice, etc., for the dogs 
and myself in exchange for venison, otherwise I should 
have some hundreds of noisy, idle vagabonds flocking 
up to me like carrion-crows. 

Of course I give them splendid bargains, as I barter 
simply on the principle that no man shall come for 
nothing. Thus, if a man assist in building the kennel, 
or carrying a load, or cutting bed-grass, or searching 
for lost hounds, he gets a share of meat. The others 
bring rice, coffee, fowls, eggs, plantains, vegetables, 
etc., which I take at ridiculous rates — a bushel of rice 
for a full-grown elk, etc., the latter being worth a 
couple of pounds and the rice about seven shillings. 
12* 



138 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

Thus the hounds keep themselves in rice and supply 
me with everything that I require during the trip, at 
the same time gratifying the natives. 

The direct route to this country was unknown to 
Europeans at Newera EUia until I discovered it one 
day, accidentally, in following the hounds. 

A large tract of jungle-covered hill stretches away 
from the Moon Plains at Newera EUia toward the east, 
forming a hog's back of about three and a half miles 
in lengtli. Upon the north side this shelves into a deep 
gorge, at the bottom of which flows, or rather tumbles, 
Fort M'Donald river on its way to the low country, 
through forest-covered hills and perpendicular cliffs, 
until it reaches the precipitous patina mountains, when, 
in a succession of large cataracts, it reaches the paddy- 
fields in the first village of Perewelle (guava paddy- 
field). Thus the river in the gorge below runs parallel 
to the long hog's back of mountain. This is bordered 
on the other side by another ravine and smaller tor- 
rent, to which the Badulla road runs parallel until it 
reaches the mountain of Hackgalla, at which place the 
ravine deepens into the misty gorge already described. 

At one time, if an elk crossed the Badulla road and 
gained the Hog's Back jungle, both he and the hounds 
were lost, as no one could follow through such impene- 
trable jungle without knowing either the distance or 
direction. 

"They are gone to Fort M'Donald river!" This 
was the despairing exclamation at all times when the 
pack crossed the road, and we seldom saw the hounds 
again until late that night or on the following day. 
Many never returned, and ForfM'Donald river became 
a by-word as a locality to be always dreaded. 



Fort M^ Donald River. 139 

After a long run one day, the pack having gone ofl' 
in this fatal direction, I was determined, at any price, 
to hunt them up, and accordingly I went some miles 
down the Badulla road to the limestone quarries, which 
are five miles from the Newera Ellia plain. From this 
point I left the road and struck down into the deep, 
grassy valley, crossing the river (the same which runs 
b}' the road higher up) and continuing along the side 
of the valley until I ascended the opposite range of 
hills. Descending the precipitous side, I at length 
reached the paddy-fields in the low country, which 
were watered by Fort M'Donald river, and I looked up 
to the lofty range formed by the Hog's Back hill, now 
about three thousand feet above me. Thus I had 
gained the opposite side of the Hog's Back, and, after a 
stiff pull up the mountain, I returned home by a good 
path, which I had formerly discovered along the course 
of the river through the forest to Newera Ellia, via 
Rest-and-be-Thankful Valley and the Barrack Plains, 
having made a circuit of about twenty-five miles and 
become thoroughly conversant with all the localities. 
I immediately determined to have a path cut from the 
Badulla road across the Hog's Back jungle to the pati- 
nas, which looked down upon Fort M'Donald on the 
other side, and up which I had ascended on my return. 
I judged the distance would not exceed two miles 
across, and I chose the point of junction with the Ba- 
dulla road two miles and a half from my house. My 
reason for this was, that the elk invariably took to the 
jungle at this place, which proved it to be the easiest 
route. 

This road, on completion, answered every expecta- 
tion, connecting the two sides of the Hog's Back by an 



140 EigJit Tears' Wanderbigs in Ceylon. 

excellent path of about two miles, and debouching on 
the opposite side on a high patina peak which com- 
manded the whole country. Thus was the whole 
country opened up by this single path, and should an 
elk play his old trick and be off across the Hog's Back 
to Fort M'Donald river, I could be there nearly as soon 
as he could, and also keep within hearing of the hounds 
throughout the run. 

I was determined to take the tent and regularly hunt 
up the whole country on the other side of the Hog's 
Back, as the weather was very bad at Newera Ellia, 
while in this spot it was beautifully fine, although very 
windy. 

I therefore sent on the tent, kennel-troughs and pots, 
and all the paraphernalia indispensable for the jungle, 
and on the 31st May, 1852, I started, having two com- 
panions — Capt. Pelly, Thirty-seventh Regiment, who 
was then commandant of Newera Ellia, and his brother 
on a visit. It was not more than an hour and a half's 
good walking from my house to the high patina peak 
upon which I pitched the tent, but the country and 
climate are so totally distinct from anything at Newera 
Ellia that it gives every one the idea of being fifty 
miles away. 

We hewed out a spacious arbor at the edge of the 
jungle, and in this I had the tent pitched to protect it 
from the wind, which it did effectually, as well as the 
kennel, which was near the same spot. The servants 
made a good kitchen, and the encampment was soon 
complete. 

There never could have been a more romantic or 
beautiful spot for a bivouac. To the right lay the dis- 
tant view of the low country, stretching into an unde- 



Great Waterfall. 141 

fined distance, until the land and sky appeared to melt 
together. Below, at a depth of about three thousand 
feet, the river boiled througli the rocky gorge until it 
reached the village of Perewelle at the base of the line 
of mountains, whose cultivated paddy-fields looked no 
larger than the squares upon a chess-board. On the 
opposite side of the river rose a precipitous and im- 
passable mountain, even to. a greater altitude than the 
facing ridge upon which I stood, forming as grand a 
foreground as the eye could desire. Above, below, 
around, there was the bellowing sound of heavy cata- 
racts echoed upon all sides. 

Certainly this country is very magnificent, but it is 
an awful locality for hunting, as the elk has too great 
an advantage over both hounds and hunters. Moun- 
tainous patinas of the steepest inclination, broken here 
and there by abrupt precipices, and with occasional 
level platforms of waving grass, descend to the river's 
bed. These patina mountains are crowned by exten- 
sive forests, and narrow belts of jungle descend from 
the summit to the base, clothing the numerous ravines 
which furrow the mountain's side. Thus the entire 
surface of the mountains forms a series of rugged grass- 
lands, so steep as to be ascended with the greatest diffi- 
culty, and the elk lie in the forests on the summits and 
also in the narrow belts which cover the ravines. 

The whole country forms a gorge, like a gigantic 
letter V. At the bottom roars the dreaded torrent. 
Fort M'Donald river, in a succession of foaming cata- 
racts, all of which, however grand individual!}^, are 
completely eclipsed by its last great plunge of three 
hundred feet per.pendicular depth into a dark and nar- 
row chasm of wall-bound cliffs. 



142 Eight Tears' Wanderings i?i Ceylon, 

The bed of the river is the most frightful place that 
can be conceived, being choked by enormous fragments 
of rock, amidst which the irresistible torrent howls with 
a fury that it is impossible to describe. 

The river is confined on either side by rugged cliffs 
of gneiss rock, from which these fragments have from 
time to time become detached, and have accordingly 
fallen into the torrent, choking up the bed and throw- 
ing the obstructed waters into frightful commotion. 
Here they lie piled one upon the other, like so many 
inverted cottages ; here and there forming dripping 
caverns ; now forming walls of slippery rock, over 
which the water falls in thundering volumes into pools 
black from their mysterious depth, and from which 
there is no visible means of exit. These dark and 
dangerous pools are walled in by hoary-looking rocks, 
beneath which the pent-up water dives and boils in 
subterranean caverns, until it at length escapes through 
secret channels, and reappears on the opposite side of 
its prison-walls ; lashing itself into foam in its mad 
frenzy, it forms rapids of giddy velocity through the 
rocky bounds ; now flying through a narrowed gorge, 
and leaping, striving and wrestling with unnumbered 
obstructions, it at length meets with the mighty fall, like 
death in a madman's course. One plunge ! without a 
single shelf to break the fall, and down, down it sheets ; 
at first like glass, then like the broken avalanche of 
snow, and lastly! — we cannot see more — the mist boils 
from the ruin of shattered waters and conceals the 
bottom of the fall. The roar vibrates like thunder in 
the rocky mountain, and forces the grandeur of the 
scene through every nei've. 

No annual or man, once in those mysterious pools, 



StaH for Hunting. 143 

could ever escape without assistance. Thus in years 
past, when elk were not followed up in this locality, 
the poor beast, being hard pressed by the hounds, might 
have come to bay in one of these fatal basins, in which 
case, both he and every hound who entered the trap 
found sure destruction. 

The hard work and the danger to both man and 
hound in this country may be easily imagined when it 
is explained that the nature of the elk prompts him to 
seek for water as his place of refuge when hunted ; 
thus he makes off down the mountain for the river, in 
which he stands at bay. Now the mountain itself is 
steep enough, but within a short distance of the bot- 
tom the river is in many places guarded by precipices 
of several hundred feet in depth. A few difficult passes 
alone give access to the torrent, but the descent re- 
quires great caution. 

Altogether, this forms the wildest and most arduous 
country that can be imagined for hunting, but it 
abounds with elk. 

The morning was barely gray when I woke up the 
servants and ordered coffee, and made the usual prepa- 
rations for a start. At last, thank goodness ! the boots 
are laced ! This is the troublesome part of dressing 
before broad daylight, and nevertheless laced ankle- 
boots must be worn as a protection against sprains and 
bruises in such a country. Never mind the trouble of 
lacing them ; they are on now, and there is a good day*$ 
work in store for them. 

It was the 30th May, 1853, ^ lovely hunting morn- 
ing and a fine dew on the patinas ; rather too windy, 
but that could not be helped. 

Quiet now ! — down, Bluebeard ! — ^back, will you, 



144 Eight Years^ Wanderings in Ceylon. 

Lucifer ! Here's a smash ! there goes the jungle ken* 
nel ! the pack squeezing out of it in every direction as 
they hear the preparations for departure. 

Now we are all right ; ten couple out, and all good 
ones. Come along, yo-o-i, along here! and a note on 
the horn brings the pack close together as we enter the 
fo:est on the very summit of the ridge. Thus the 
start was completed just as the first tinge of gold 
spread along the eastern horizon, about ten minutes 
before sunrise. 

The jungles were tolerably good, but there were not 
as many elk tracks as I had expected ; probably the 
high wind on the ridge had driven them lower down 
for shelter ; accordingly I struck an oblique direction 
downward, and I was not long before I discovered a 
fresh track ; fresh enough, certainly, as the thick moss 
which covered the ground showed a distinct path where 
the animal had been recently feeding. 

Every hound had stolen away ; even the greyhounds 
buried their noses in the broad track of the buck, so 
fresh was the scent ; and I waited quietly for " the 
find." The greyhounds stood round me with their 
ears cocked and glistening eyes, intently listening for 
the ex*3ected sound. 

There they are ! all together, such a burst ! They 
must have stolen away mute and have found on the 
other side the ridge, for they were now coming down 
a^ full speed from the very summit of the mountain. 

From the amount of music I knew they had a good 
start, but I had no idea that the buck would stand to 
such a pack at the very commencement of the hunt. 
Nevertheless there was a sudden bay within a few hun- 
dred yards of me, and the elk had already turned to 



The Find. 145 

fight. I knew that he was an immense fellow from 
his track, and I at once saw that he would show fine 
sport. 

Just as I. was running through the jungle toward 
the spot, the bay broke and the buck had evidently 
gone off straight away, as 1 heard the pack in full cry 
rapidly increasing their distance and going off down 
the mountain. 

Sharp following was now the order of the day, and 
away we went. The mountain was so steep that it 
was necessary every now and then to check the mo- 
mentum of a rapid descent by' clinging to the tough 
saplings. Sometimes one would give way and a con- 
siderable spill would be the consequence. However, I 
soon got out on the patina about one-third of the way 
down the mountain, and here I met one of the natives, 
who was well posted. Not a sound of the pack was 
now to be heard ; but this man declared most positively 
that the elk had suddenly changed his course, and, in- 
stead of keeping down the hill, had struck oft' to his 
left along the side of the mountain. Accordingly, oft' I 
started as hard as I could go with several natives, who 
all agreed as to the direction. 

After running for about a mile along the patinas in 
the line which I judged the pack had taken, I heard one 
hound at bay in a narrow jungle high up on my left. 
It was only the halt of an instant, for the next moment 
I heard the same hound's voice evidently running on 
the other side of the strip of jmigle, and taking oft' 
down the mountain straight for the dreaded river. 
Here was a day's work cut out as neatly as could be. 

Running toward the .spot, I found the buck's track 
leading in that direction, and I gave two or three view 
13 K 



146 Eight Tears* Wanderings i?i Ceylon. 

halloos at the top of my voice to bring the rest of the 
pack down upon it. They were close at hand, but the 
high wind had prevented me from hearing them, and 
away they came from the jungle, rushing down upon 
the scent like a flock of birds. I stepped off" the track 
to let them pass as they swept by, and " For-r-r-a-r-d 
to him ! For-r-r-ard !" was the word the moment they 
had passed, as I gave them a halloo down the hill. 
It was a bad look-out for the elk now ; every hound 
knew that his master was close up, and they went like 
demons. 

The " Tamby" * Was the only man up, and he and I 
immediately followed in chase down the precipitous 
patinas ; running when we could, scrambling, and 
sliding on our hams when it was too steep to stand, 
and keeping good hold of the long tufts of grass, lest 
we should gain too great an impetus and slide to the 
bottom. 

After about half a mile passed in this manner, I 
heard the bay, and I saw the buck far beneath, standing 
upon a level, grassy platform, within three hundred 
yards of the river. The whole pack was around him 
except the greyhounds, who were with me ; but not a 
hound had a chance with him, and he repeatedly 
charged in among them, and regularly drove them 
before him, sending any single hound spinning when- 
ever he came within his range. But the pack quickly 
reunited, and always returned with fresh vigor to the 
attack. There was a narrow, wooded ravine between 
me and them, and, with caution and speed combined, 
I made toward the spot down the precipitous moun- 

* An exceedingly active Moorman, who was ww great ally in 
hunting. 



A Gallant Stag, 147 

tain, followed by the greyhounds " Bran " and 
** Lucifer." 

I soon arrived on a level with the bay, and, plunging 
into the ravine, I swung myself down from tree to tree, 
and then climbed up the opposite side. I broke cover 
within a few yards of him. What a splendid fellow 
he looked! He was about thirteen hands high, and 
carried the most beautiful head of horns that I had 
ever seen upon an elk. His mane was bristled up, his 
nostril was distended, and, turning from the pack, he 
surveyed me, as though taking the measure of his new 
antagonist. Not seeming satisfied, he deliberately 
turned, and, descending from the level space, he care- 
fully picked his way. Down narrow elk-runs along 
the steep precipices, and, at a slow walk, with the 
whole pack in single file at his heels, he clambered 
down toward the river. I followed on his track over 
places which I would not pass in cold blood ; and I 
shortly halted above a cataract of some eighty feet in 
depth, about a "hundred paces from the great water- 
fall of three hundred feet. 

It was extremely grand ; the roar of the falls so en- 
tirely, hushed all other sounds that the voices of the 
hounds were perfectly inaudible, although within a few 
yards of me, as I looked down upon them from a rock 
that overhung the river. 

The elk stood upon the brink of the swollen tor- 
rent ; he could not retreat, as the wall of rock was 
behind him, with the small step-like path by which he 
had descended ; this was now occupied by the yelling 
pack. 

The hounds knew the danger of the place ; but the 
ouck, accustomed to these haunts from his birth, sud- 



14S Eight Tears' Wander ings in Ceylon. 

denly leapt across the boiling rapids, and springing 
from rock to rock along the verge of the cataract, he 
gained the opposite side. Here he had mistaken his 
landing-place, as a shelving rock, upon w^hich he 
had alighted, was so steep that he could not retain 
his footing, and he gradually slid down toward the 
river. 

At this moment, to my horror, both " Bran" and 
*' Lucifer" dashed across the torrent, and bounding from 
rock to rock, they sprung at the already tottering elk, 
and in another moment both he and they rolled over in 
a confused mass into the boiling torrent. One more 
instant and they reappeared, the buck gallantly stem- 
ming the current, which his great length of limb and 
weight enabled him to do ; the dogs, overwhelmed in 
the foam of the rapids, were swept down toward the 
fall, in spite of their frantic exertions to gain the bank. 
They were not fifteen feet from the edge of the fall, 
and I saw them spun round and round in the whirl- 
pools, being hurried toward certain* destruction. The 
poor dogs seemed aware of the danger, and made the 
most extraordinary efforts to avoid their fate. They 
were my two favorites of the pack, and I screamed out 
words of encouragement to them, although the voice 
of a cannon could not have been heard among the roar 
of waters. They had nearly gained the bank on the 
very verge of the fall, when a few tufts of lemon grass 
concealed them from my view. I thought they were 
over, and I could not restrain a cry of despair at their 
horrible fate. I felt sick with the idea. But the next 
moment I was shouting hurrah ! they are all right ; 
thank goodness, they were saved. I saw them strug- 
gling up the steep bank, through the same lemon grass, 



^^Phrenzy's^^ Death. 149 

which had for a moment obscured their fate. They 
were thoroughly exhausted and half drowned. 

In the mean time, the elk had manfully breasted the 
rapids, carefully choosing the shallow places ; and the 
whole pack, being mad with excitement, had plunged 
into the water, regardless of the danger. I thought 
every hound would have been lost. For an instant 
they looked like a flock of ducks, but a few moments 
afterward they were scattered in the boiling eddies, 
hurrying with fatal speed toward the dreadful cataract. 
Poor "Phrenzy !" round she spun in the giddy vortex ; 
nearer and nearer she approached the verge — her 
struggles were unavailing — over she went, and was of 
course never heard of afterward. 

This was a terrible style of hunting ; rather too much 
so to be pleasant. 

I clambered down to the edge of the river just in 
time to see the elk climbing as nimbly as a cat up the 
precipitous bank on the opposite side, threading his 
way at a slow walk under the overhanging rocks, and 
scrambling up the steep mountain with a long string 
of hounds at his heels in single file. "Valiant,'* 
"Tiptoe" and " Ploughboy" were close to him, and I 
counted the other hounds in the line, fully expecting to 
miss half of them. To my surprise and delight, only 
one was absent ; this was poor " Phrenzy." The 
others had all managed to save themselves. I now 
crossed the river by leaping from rock to rock with 
some difficulty, and with hands and knees I climbed 
the opposite bank. This was about sixty feet high, 
from the top of which the mountain commenced its as- 
cent, which, though very precipitous, was so covered 
with long lemon grass that it was easy enough to 
13* 



150 EigJit Tears' Wandering's in Ceylon, 

climb. I looked behind me, and there was the Tamby, 
all right, within a few paces. 

The elk was no longer in sight, and the roar of the 
water was so great that it was impossible to hear the 
hounds. However, I determined to crawl along his 
track, which was plainly discernible, the high grass be- 
ing broken into a regular lane which skirted the preci- 
pice of the great waterfall in the direction of the vil- 
lages. 

We were now about a hundred feet above, and on 
one side of the great fall, looking into the deep chasm 
into which the river leapt, forming a cloud of mist be- 
low. The lemon grass was so high in tufts among the 
rocks that we could not see a foot before us, and we 
knew not whether the next step would land us on firm 
footing, or deposit us some hundred feet below. Clutch- 
ing fast to the long grass, therefore, we crept carefully 
on for about a quarter of a mile, now climbing the face 
of the rocks, now descending by means of their irregu- 
lar surfaces, but still skirting the dark gorge down 
which the river fell. 

At length, having left the fall some considerable dis- 
tance behind us, the ear was somewhat relieved from 
the bewildering noise of water, and I distinctly heard 
the pack at bay not very far in advance. In another 
moment I saw the elk standing on a platform of rock 
about a hundred yards ahead, on a lower shelf of the 
mountain, and the whole pack at bay. This platform 
was the top of a cliff which overhung the deep gorge ; 
the river flowing in the bottom after its great fall, and 
both the elk and hounds appeared to be in " a fix." 
The descent had been made to this point by leaping 
down places which he could not possibly reascend, and 



Buck at Bay. 151 

there was only one narrow outlet, which was covered 
by the hounds. Should he charge through the hounds 
to force this passage, half a dozen of them must be 
knocked over the precipice. 

However, I carefully descended, and soon reached 
the platform. This was not more than twenty feet 
square, and it looked down in the gorge of about three 
hundred feet. The first seventy of this depth were 
perpendicular, as the top of the rock overhung, after 
which the side of the cliff was marked by great fissures 
and natural steps formed by the detachment from time 
to time of masses of rock which had fallen into the 
river below. Bushes and rank grass filled the inter- 
stices of the rocks, and an old deserted water-course lay 
exactly beneath the platform, being cut and built out 
of the side of the cliff. 

It was a magnificent sight in such grand scenery to 
see the buck at bay when we arrived upon the platform. 
He was a dare-devil fellow, and feared neither hounds 
nor man, every now and then charging through the 
pack, and coming almost within reach of the Tamby's 
spear. It was a difficult thing to know how to kill 
him. I was afraid to go in at him, lest in his struggles 
he should drag the hounds over the precipice, and I 
would not cheer the seizers on for the same reason. 
Indeed, they seemed well aware of the danger, and 
every now and then retreated to me, as though to in- 
duce the elk to make a move to some better ground. 

However, the buck very soon decided the question. 
I made up my mind to halloo the hounds on, and to 
hamstring the elk, to prevent him from nearing the 
precipice : and, giving a shout, the pack rushed at him. 
Not a dog could touch hyu ; he was too quick with 



152 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

his horns and fore feet. He made a dash into the pack, 
and then regained his position close to the verge of the 
precipice. He then turned his back to the hounds, 
looked down over the edge, and, to the astonishment 
of all, plunged into the abyss below ! A dull crash 
sounded from beneath, and then nothing was heard but 
the roaring of the waters as before. The hounds 
looked over the edge and yelled with a mixture of fear 
and despair. Their game was gone ! 

By making a circuit of about half a mile among these 
frightful precipices and gorges, we at length arrived at 
the foot of the cliff down which the buck had leapt. 
Here we of course found him lying dead, as he had 
broken most of his bones. He was in very fine condi- 
tion ; but it was impossible to move him from such a 
spot. I therefore cut off his head, as his antlers vvere 
the finest that I have ever killed before or since. 

To regain the tent, I had a pull for it, having to 
descend into the village of Perewelle, and then to re- 
ascend the opposite mountain of three thousand feet, 
but even this I thought preferable to returning in cold 
blood by the dangerous route I had come. 

Tugging up such a mountain was no fun after a hard 
morning's work, and I resolved to move the encamp- 
ment to a large cave, some eight hundred feet lower 
down the mountain. Accordingly, I struck the tent, 
and after breakfast we took up our quaiters in a cavern 
worthy of Robin Hood. This had been formed by a 
couple of large rocks the size of a moderate house, 
which had been detached from the overhanging cliff 
above, and had fallen together. There was a smaller 
cavern within, which made a capital kennel ; rather 
more substantial than the rickety building of yesterday. 



Elk Venison. 153 

Some of the village people, hearing that the buck 
was killed and lying in the old water-course, went in a 
gang to cut him up. What was their surprise on 
reaching the spot to find the carcase removed ! It had 
evidently been dragged along the water-course, as the 
trail was distinct in the high grass, and upon following 
it up, away went two fine leopards, bounding along the 
rocks to their adjacent cave. They had consumed a 
large portion of the flesh, but the villagers did not leave 
them much for another meal. Skin, hoofs, and in fact 
every vestige of an elk, is consumed by these people. 

For my own part, I do not think much of elk venison, 
unless it be very fat, which is rarely the case. It is at 
all times more like beef than any other meat, for which 
it is a very good substitute. The marrow-bones are the 
^''honne bouche^^ being peculiarly rich and delicate. 
Few animals can have a larger proportion of marrow 
than the elk, as the bones are more hollow than those 
of most quadrupeds. This cylindrical formation en- 
"ables them to sustain the severe shocks in descending 
rough mountains at full speed. It is perfectly wonder- 
ful to see an animal of near six hundred pounds' weight 
bounding down a hillside, over rocks and ruts and 
every conceivable difficulty of ground, at a pace which 
will completely distance the best hound ; and even at 
this desperate speed, the elk will never make a false 
step ; sure-footed as a goat, he will still fly on through 
bogs, ravines, tangled jungles and rocky rivers, ever 
certain of his footing. 

The foregoing description of an elk-hunt will give 
the reader a good idea of the power of this animal in 
stemming rapids and climbing dangerous precipices ; 
but even an elk is not proof against the dangers of Fort 



154 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon. 

M'Donald river, an example of which we had on the 
following morning. 

The hounds found a doe who broke cover close to 
me in a small patina and made straight running for the 
river. She had no sooner reached it than I heard 
her cry out, and as she was closely followed I thought 
she was seized. However, the whole pack shortly re- 
turned, evidently thrown out, and I began to abuse 
them pretty roundly, thinking that they had lost their 
game in the river. So they had, but in an excusable 
manner ; the poor doe had been washed down a rapid, 
and had broken her thigh. We found her dead under 
a hollow rock in the middle of the river. 

Here we had a fine exemplification of the danger of 
the mysterious pools. 

While I was opening the elk, with the pack all round 
me licking their lips in expectation, old " Madcap" was 
jostled by one of the greyhounds, and slipped into a 
basin among the rocks, which formed an edge of about 
two feet above the surface. 

The opposite side of the pool was hemmed in by 
rocks about six feet high, and the direction of the 
under-current was at once shown by poor old " Mad- 
cap" being swept up against this high wall of rock, 
where she remained paddling with all her might in an 
upright position. 

I saw the poor beast would be sucked under, and yet 
I could not save her. However, I did my best at the 
risk of falling in myself. 

I took oft' my handkerchief and made a slip-knot, 
and, begging Pelly to lie down on the top of the rock, 
I took his hand while I clung to the face of the wall as 
I best could by a little ledge of about two inches' width. 



''^MadcapW Dive, 155 

With great difficulty I succeeded in iiooking the bitch's 
head in the slip-knot, but in my awkward position I 
could not use sufficient strength to draw her out. I 
could only support her head above the water, which I 
could distinctly feel was drawing her from me. Pre- 
sently she gave a convulsive struggle, which freed her 
head from the loop, and in an instant she disappeared. 

I could not help going round the rock to see if her 
body should be washed out when the torrent reappeared, 
when, to ray astonishment, up she popped all right, not 
being more than half drowned by her subterranean ex 
cursion, and we soon helped her safe ashore. Fortu- 
nately for her, the passage had been sufficiently large to 
pass her, although I have no doubt a man would have 
been held fast and drowned. 

There was so much water in the river that I deter- 
mined to move from this locality as too dangerous for 
hunting. I therefore ordered the village people to as- 
semble on the following morning to carry the loads and 
tent. In the mean time I sent for the dead elk. 

There could not be a better place for a hunting-box 
than that cave. We soon, had a glorious fire roaring 
round the kennel-pot, which, having been well scoured 
with sand and water, was to make the soup. Such 
soup ! — shades of gourmands, if ye only smelt that 
cookery ! The pot held six gallons, and the whole elk^ 
except a few steaks, was cut up and alternately boiled 
down in sections. The flesh was then cut up small for 
the pack, the marrow-bones reserved for " master," 
and the soup was then boiled until it had evaporated 
to the quantity required. A few green chilies, onions 
in slices fried, and a little lime-juice, salt, black pepper 
and mushroom ketcliup, andr— in fact, there is no use 



156 Eight Tears Wanderi7igs hi Ceylo?i. 

thinking of it, as the soup is'*not to be had again. The 
fire crackled and blazed as the logs were heaped upon 
it as night grew near, and lit up all the nooks and 
corners of the old cave. Three beds in a row con- 
tained three sleepy mortals. The hounds snored and 
growled, and then snored again. The servants jab- 
bered, chewed betel, spit, then jabbered a little more, 
and at last everything and everybody was fast asleep 
within the cave. 

The next morning we had an early breakfast and 
started, the village people marching off in good spirits 
with the loads. I was now en route for Bertram's 
patinas, which lay exactly over the mountain on the 
opposite side of the river. This being perpendicular, I 
was obliged to make a great circuit by keeping the old 
Newera EUia path along the river for two or three 
miles, and then, turning off at right angles, I knew an 
old native trace over the ridge. Altogether, it was a 
round of about six miles, although the patinas were not 
a mile from the cave in a straight line. 

The path in fact terminates upon the high peak, 
exactl}'^ opposite the cave, looking down upon my 
hunting-ground of the day before, and on the othei 
side the ridge lie Bertram's patinas. 

The extreme point of the ridge which I had now 
gained forms one end of a horse-shoe or amphitheatre ; 
the other extremity is formed by a high mountain 
exactly opposite, at about two miles' distance. The 
bend of the horse-shoe forms a circuit of about six 
miles, the rim of which is a wall of precipices and 
steep patina mountains, which are about six or seven 
hundred feet above the basin or the bottom of the 
amphitheatre. The tops of the mountains are covered 



F'ormef Inundation. . 157 

with good open forest, and ribbon-like strips descend to 
the base. Now the base forms an uneven shelf of great 
extent, about two thousand feet above the villages. 
This shelf or valley appears to have suffered at some 
remote period from a terrible inundation. Landslips 
of great size and innumerable deep gorges and ravines 
furrow the bottom of the basin, until at length a princi- 
pal fissure carries away the united streams to the 
paddy-fields below. 

The cause of this inundation is plain enough. The 
basin has been the receptacle for the drainage of an ex- 
tensive surface of mountain. This drainage has been 
eflected by innumerable small torrents, which have 
united in one general channel through the valley. The 
exit of this stream is through a narrow gorge, by which 
it descends to the low country. During the period of 
heavy rains a landslip has evidently choked up this 
passage, and the exit of the water being thus obstructed, 
the whole area of the valley has become a lake. The 
accumulated water has suddenly burst through the ob- 
struction and swept everything before it. The elk are 
very fond of lying under the precipices in the strips of 
jungle already mentioned. When found, they are ac- 
cordingly forced to take to the open country and come 
down to the basin below, as they cannot possibly ascend 
the mountain except by one or two remote deer-runs. 
Thus the whole hunt from the find to the death is gene- 
rally in view. 

From every point of this beautiful locality there is a 
boundless and unbroken panorama of the low country. 

Unfortunately, although the weather was perfectly 
fine, it was the windy season, and a gale swept across 
the mountains that rendered ears of little use, as a 
U 



158 • Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

hound's voice was annihilated in such a hurricane 
This was sadly against sport, as the main body of the 
pack would have no chance of joining the finding 
hound. 

However, the hounds were unkenneled at break of 
day, and, the tent being pitched at the bottom of the 
basin, we commenced a pull up the steep patinas, 
hoping to find somewhere on the edge of the jungles. 

" There's scent to a certainty ! — look at old Blue- 
beard's nose upon the ground and the excited wagging 
of his stern. Ploughboy notices it — now Gaylass — 
they'll hit it off presently to a certainty, though it's as 
cold as charity. That elk was feeding here early in 
the night ; the scent is four hours old if a minute. 
There they go into the jungle, and we shall lose the 
elk, ten to one, as not another hound in the pack will 
work it up. It can't be helped ; if any three hounds 
will rouse him out, those are the three." 

For a couple of hours we had sat behind a rock, 
sheltered from the wind, watching the immense pros- 
pect before us. The whole pack were lying around us 
except the three missing hounds, of whom we had seen 
nothing since they stole away upon the cold scent. 

That elk must have gone up to the top of the moun- 
tains after feeding, and a pretty run he must be having, 
very likely off to Matturatta plains ; if so, good-bye to 
all sport for to-day, and the best hounds will be dead 
tired for to-morrow. 

I was just beginning to despair when I observed a 
fine large buck at about half a mile distance, cantering 
easily toward us across an extensive flat of table-land. 
This surface was a fine sward, on the same level with 
the point upon which we sat, but separated from us by 



A JBuck in Doubt, 159 

two small wooded ravines, with a strip of patina be- 
tween them. I at once surmised that this was the 
hunted elk, although, as yet, no hounds were visible. 

On arrival at the first ravine he immediately de- 
scended, and shordy after he reappeared on the small 
patina between the two ravines, within three hundred 
yards of us. Here the strong gale gave him our scent. 
It was a beautiful sight to see him halt in an instant, 
and, drawing up to his full height, snufF the warning 
breeze and wind the enemy before him. 

Just at this moment I heard old " Bluebeard's" deep 
note swelling in the distance, and I saw him leading 
across the table-land as true as gold upon the track ; 
" Ploughboy" and " Gaylass" were both with him, but 
they were running mute. 

The buck heard the hounds as well as we did, and I 
was afraid that the whole pack would also catch the 
sound, and, by hurrying toward it, would head the elk 
and turn him from his course. Up to the present time 
they had not observed him. 

Still the buck stood in an attitude of acute suspense. 
He winded an enemy before him, and he heard an- 
other behind, which was rapidly closing up, and, as 
though doubting his own power of scent, he gave pref- 
erence to that of hearing, and gallantly continued his 
course and entered the second ravine just beneath our 
feet. 

I immediately jumped up, and, exciting the hounds 
in a subdued voice, I waved my cap at the spot, and 
directed a native to run at full speed to the jungle to 
endeavor to meet the elk, as I knew the hounds would 
,then follow him. This they did ; and they all entered 
the jungle with the m^n except the three greyhounds, 



I DO EigJit Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

" Lucifer," " Bran" and '* Hecate," who remained with 
me. 

A short time passed in breathless suspense, during 
which the voices of the three following hounds rapidly 
approached as they steadily persevered in the long 
chase ; when suddenly, as I had expected, the main 
body of the pack met the elk in the strip of jungle. 

Joyful must have been the burst of music to the ears 
of old " Bluebeard" after his long run. Out crashed 
the buck upon the patinas near the spot where the pack 
had entered, and away he went over the grassy hills at 
a pace which soon left the hounds behind. The grey- 
hounds will stretch his legs for him. Yo-i-ck to him, 
Lucifer ! For-r-r-ard to him, Hecate ! 

OfT dashed the three greyhounds from my side at a 
railway pace, but, as the buck was above them and had 
a start of about two hundred yards, in such an uphill 
race both Bran and Lucifer managed to lose sight of 
him in the undulations. 

Now was the time for Hecate's enormous power of 
loin and thigh to tell, and, never losing a moment's 
viev/ of her game, she sped up the steep mountain side 
and was soon after seen within fifty yards of the buck 
all alone, but going like a rocket. 

Now she has turned him ! that pace could not last 
up hill, and round the elk doubled and came flying 
down the mountain side. 

From the point of the hill upon which we stood we 
had a splendid view of the course ; the bitch gained 
upon him at every bound, and there was a pitiless dash 
in her style of going that boded little mercy to her 
game. What alarmed me, however, was the direction 
that the buck was taking. An abrupt precipice of 



Danger Ahead. i6i 

about two hundred and fifty feet was lying exactly in 
his path ; this sunk sheer down to a lower series of 
grass-lands. 

At the tremendous pace at which they were going 
I feared lest their own impetus should carry both elk 
and dog to destruction before they could see the danger. 

Down they flew with unabated speed ; they neared 
the precipice, and a few more seconds would bring them 
to the verge. 

The stride of the buck was no match for the bound 
of the greyhound : the bitch was at his flanks, and he 
pressed along at flying speed. 

He was close to the danger and it was still unseen : 
a moment more and " Hecate" sprang at his ear. For- 
tunately she lost her hold as the ear split. This check 
saved her. I shouted, " He'll be over !" and the next 
instant he was flying through the air to headlong de- 
struction. 

Bounding from a projecting rock upon which he 
struck, he flew outward, and with frightfully increasing 
momentum he spun round and round in his descent, 
until the centrifugal motion drew out his legs and neck 
as straight as a line. A few seconds of this multiply- 
ing velocity and — crash ! 

Tt was all over. The bitch had pulled up on the 
very brink of the precipice^ but it was a narrow escape. 

Sportsmen are contradictory creatures. If that buck 
had come to bay, I should have known no better sport 
than going in at him with the knife to the assistance 
of the pack ; but I now felt a great amount of compas- 
sion for the poor brute who had met so terrible a fate. 
It did not s,eem.fair ; and yet I would not have missed 
such a sight for anything. Nothing can be conceived 
14 » L 



i(d2 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon. 

more terribly grand than the rush of so large an animal 
through the air; and it was a curious circumstance 
that within a few days no less than two bucks had gone 
over precipices, although I had never witnessed such 
an accident more than once before. 

Upon reaching the fatal spot, I, of course, found him 
lying stone dead. He had fallen at least two hundred 
and fifty feet to the base of the precipice; and the 
ground being covered with detached fragments of rock, 
he had broken most of his bones, beside bursting his 
paunch and smashing in the face. However, we cut 
him up and cleaned him, and, with the native follow- 
ers heavily laden, we reached the tent. 

The following morning I killed another fine buck 
after a good run on the patinas, where he was coursed 
and pulled down by the greyhounds ; but the wind was 
so very high that it destroyed the pleasure of hunting. 
I therefore determined on another move — to the Mattu- 
ratta Plains, within three miles of my present hunting- 
ground. 

After hunting four days at the Matturatta Plains, I 
moved on to the Elephant Plains, and from thence re- 
turned home after twelve days' absence, having killed 
twelve elk and two red deer. 

The animal known as the '' red deer" in Ceylon is a 
very different creature to his splendid namesake in 
Scotland ; he is particularly unlike a deer in the dispro- 
portionate size of his carcase to his length of leg. He 
stands about twenty-six inches high at the shoulder and 
weighs (live weight) from forty-five to fifty pounds. 
He has two sharp tusks in the upper jaw, projecting 
about an inch and a half from the gum. These are 
exactly like the lower-jaw tusks of a boar, but they 



The ^^ Mouse Deer" 163 

incline in the contrary direction, viz., downward, and 
they are used as weapons of defence. 

The horns of the red deer seldom exceed eight 
inches in length, and have no more than two points 
upon each antler, formed by a fork-like termination. 
This kind of deer has no brow antler. They are very 
fast, and excel especially in going up hill, in which 
ground they frequently escape from the best grey- 
hounds. 

There is no doubt that the red-deer venison is the 
best in Ceylon, but the animal itself is not generally 
sought after for sport. He gives a most uninteresting 
run ; never going straight away like a deer, but doub- 
ling about over fifty acres of ground like a hare, until 
he is at last run into and killed. They exist in extraor- 
dinary numbers throughout every portion of Ceylon, 
but are never seen in herds. 

Next to the red deer is the still more tiny species, 
the " mouse deer." This animal seldom exceeds twelve 
inches in height, and has the same characteristic as the 
red deer in the heavy proportion of body to its small 
length of limb. The skin is a mottled ash-gray, cov- 
ered with Hark spots. The upper jaw is furnished with 
sharp tusks similar to the red deer, but the head is free 
from horns. 

The skull is perfectly unlike the head of a deer, and 
is closely allied to the rat, which it would exactly re- 
semble, were it not for the difference in the teeth. The 
mouse deer lives principally upon berries and fruits ; 
but I have seldom found much herbage upon examina- 
tion of the paunch. Some people consider the flesh 
very good, but my ideas perhaps give it a ''''ratty* 
flavor that makes it unpalatable. 



164 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

These little deer make for some well-known retreat 
the moment that they are disturbed by dogs, and they 
are usually found after a short run safely ensconced in 
a hollow tree. 

It is a very singular thing that none of the deer tribe 
in Ceylon have more than six points on their horns, 
viz., three upon each. These are, the brow-antler 
point, and the two points which form the extremity of 
each horn. I have seen them occasionally with more, 
but these were deformities in the antlers. 

A stranger is always disappointed in a Ceylon elk's 
antlers; and very naturally, for they are quite out of 
proportion to the great size of the animal. A very 
large Scotch red deer in not more than two-thirds the 
size of a moderately fine elk, and yet he carries a head 
of horns that are infinitely larger. 

In fact, so rare are fine antlers in Ceylon that I could 
not pick out more than a dozen of really handsome elk 
horns out of the great numbers that I have killed. 

A handsome pair of antlers is a grand addition to 
the beauty of a fine buck, and gives a majesty to his 
bearing which is greatly missed when a fine animal 
breaks cover with only a puny pair of horns. There 
is as great a difference in his appearance as there would 
be in a life-guardsman in full uniform or in his shirt. 

The antlers of the axis, or spotted deer, are generally 
longer than those of the elk ; they are also more slender 
and graceful. Altogether, the spotted deer is about the 
handsomest of that beautiful tribe. A fine spotted stag 
is the perfection of elegance, color, strength, courage 
and speed. He ha^ a proud and thorough-bred way of 
carrying his head, which is set upon his neck with a 
peculiar grace. Nothing can surpass the bea.uty.of hi^, 



Average Weight of Ceylon Deer. 165 

full black eye. His hide is as sleek as satin — a rich 
brown, slightly tinged with red, and spotted as though 
mottled with flakes of snow. His weight is about two 
hundred and fifty pounds (alive). 

It is a difficult thing to judge of a deer's weight with 
any great accuracy ; but I do not think I am far out in 
my estimation of the average, as I once tried the ex- 
periment by weighing a dead elk. I had always con- 
sidered that a mountain elk, which is smaller than those 
of the low country, weighed about four hundred pounds 
when cleaned, or five hundred and fifty pounds live 
weight. I happened one day to kill an average-sized 
buck, though with very'small horns, close to the road; 
so, having cleaned him, I sent a cart for his carcase on 
my return home. This elk I weighed whole, minus 
his inside, and he was four hundred and eleven pounds. 
Many hours had elapsed since his death, so that the 
carcase must have lost much weight by drying; this, 
with the loss of blood and offal, must have been at least 
one hundred and fifty pounds, Which would have made 
his live weight five hundred and sixty-one pounds. 

Of the five different species of deer in Ceylon, the 
spotted deer is alone seen upon the plains. No climate 
can bei iido hot for his ej^otic constitution, and he is 
never found at a higher el'evatron than three thousand 
feet. In the low country, whefn the midday sun has 
driven every other beast to the shelter of the densest 
jungles, the sultan of the herd and his lovely mates are 
sometimes contented with the shade of an isolated tree 
or the simple border of the' jungle, where they drowsily 
pass the day, flapping their long ears in listless idleness 
until the hotter hours have passed away. At about 
four in the 'afternoon they stroll upon the open plains, 



1 66 Eight Tear/ Wanderings in Ceylon, 

bucks, does and fawns, in beautiful herds ; when un- 
disturbed, as many as a hundred together. This is the 
only species of deer in Ceylon that is gregarious. 

Neither the spotted deer, nor the bear or buffalo, is 
to be found at Newera EUia. The axis and the buffalo, 
being the usual denizens of the hottest countries, are 
not to be expected to exist in their natural state in so 
low a temperature ; but it is extraordinary that the 
bear, who in most countries inhabits the mountains, 
should in Ceylon adhere exclusively to the low country. 

The Ceylon bear is of that species which is to be 
seen in the Zoological Gardens as the ".sloth bear ;" an 
ill-bred-looking fellow with a long-haired black coat 
and a gray face. 

A Ceylon bear's skin is not worth preserving ; there 
is no fur upon it, but it simply consists of rather a 
stingy allowance of black hairs. This is the natural 
effect of his perpetual residence in a hot country, where 
his coat adapts itself to the climate. He is desperately 
savage, and is more feared by the natives than any 
other animal, as he is in the constant habit of attacking 
people without the slightest provocation. His mode of 
attack increases the danger, as there is a great want of 
fair play in his method of fighting. Lying in wait, 
either behind a rock or in a thick bush, he makes a 
sudden spring upon the unwary wanderer, and in a 
moment he attacks his face with teeth and claws. The 
latter are about two inches long, and the former are 
much larger than a leopard's ; hence it may easily be 
imagined how even a few seconds of biting and claw- 
ing might alter the most handsome expression of coun- 
tenance. 

Bears have frequently been known to tear off a 



Variety of Vermin— ^Trials for Hounds, 167 

mr.n's face like a mask, leaving nothing but the face of 
a skull. 

Thus the quadrupeds of Newera Ellia and the adja- 
cent highlands are confined to the following classes : 
the elephant, the hog, the leopard, the chetah, the elk, 
the red deer, the mouse deer, the hare, the otter, the 
jackal, the civet cat, the mongoose and two others 
(varieties of the species), the black squirrel, the gray 
squirrel, the wanderoo monkey (the largest species in 
Ceylon), the porcupine, and a great variety of the rat. 

Imagine the difficulty of breaking in a young hound 
for elk-hunting when the jungles are swarming with 
such a list of vermin ! The better the pup the more he 
will persevere in hunting everything that he can possi- 
bly find ; and with such a variety of animals, some of 
which have the most enticing scent, it is a source of 
endless trouble in teaching a young hound what to 
hunt and what to avoid. 

It is curious to witness the sagacity of the old 
hounds in joining or despising the opening note of a 
new-comer. 

The jungles are fearfully thick, and it requires great 
exertion on the part of the dog to force his way through 
at a pace that will enable him to join the finding hound ; 
thus he feels considerable disappointment if upon his 
arrival he finds the scent of a monkey or a cat instead 
of his legitimate game. An old hound soon marks the 
inexperienced voice of the babbler, and after the cry of 
" wolf" has been again repeated, nothing will induce 
him to join the false finder. 

Again, it is exceedingly interesting to observe the 
quick:ness of all hounds in acknowledging their leader. 
Only let them catch the sound of old " BluebeardV* 



l68 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon. 

voice, and see the dash with which they rush through 
the jungle to join him. They know the old fellow's 
note is true to an elk or hog, and, with implicit confi- 
dence in his " find," they never hesitate to join. 

There are numerous obstacles to the breaking and 
training of dogs of all kinds in such a country. A 
hound when once in the jungle is his ow.n master. He 
obeys the sound of the halloo or the horn, or not, as he 
thinks proper. It is impossible to correct him, as he is 
out of sight. 

Now, the very fact of having one or two Jirst-ratc 
finders in a pack will very likely be the- cause of spoil- 
ing the other hounds. After repeated experience their 
instinct soon shows them that, no matter how the whole 
pack may individually hunt, the "find" will be achieved 
by one of the first-rate hounds, and gradually they give 
up hunting and take to listening for the opening note 
of the favorite. Of course in an open country they 
would be kept to their work by the whip, but at 
Newera EUia this is impossible. This accounts for 
the extreme paucity of first-rate "finders." 

Hunting in a wild country is a far more diflScult 
task for hounds than the ordinary chase at home. 
Wherever a country is cultivated it must be enclosed. 
Thus, should a flock of sheep have thrown the hounds 
out by crossing the scent, a cast round the fences must 
soon hit it off* again if the fox has left the field. But in 
elk-hunting it is scarcely possible to assist the hounds ; 
a dozen different animals, or even a disturbed elk, may 
cross the scent in parts of the jungle where the cry of 
the hounds is even out of hearing. Again, an elk has 
a constant habit of running or swimming down a river, 
his instinct prompting him to drown his own scent, and 



Training Hounds. 169 

thus throw off his pursuers. Here is a trial for the 
hounds ! — the elk has waded or swum down the stream, 
and the baffled pack arrive upon the bank ; their cheer- 
ing music has ceased ; the elk has kept the water for 
perhaps a quarter of a mile, or he may have landed 
several ^imes during that distance and again have taken 
to water. 

Now the young hounds dash thoughtlessly across the 
river, thinking of nothing but a straight course, and 
they are thrown out on the barren bank on the other 
side. Back they come again, wind about the last track 
for a few minutes, and then they are forced to give it 
up — they are thrown out altogether. 

Mark the staunch old hounds ! — one has crossed the 
river ; there is no scent, but he strikes down the bank 
with his nose close to the ground, and away he goes 
along the edge of the river casting for a scent. Now 
mark old " Bluebeard," swimming steadily down the 
stream ; he knows the habits of his game as well as I 
do, and two to one that he will find, although "Plough-' 
boy" has just started along the near bank ; so that both 
sides of the river are being hunted. 

Now this is what I call difficult hunting ; bad enough 
if the huntsman be up to assist his hounds, but nine 
times out of ten this happens in the middle of a run, 
without a soul within a mile. 

The only way to train hounds in this style of country 
is to accustom them to complete obedience from puppy- 
hood. This is easily effected by taking them out for 
exercise upon a road coupled to old hounds. A good 
walk every morning, accompanied by the horn and the 
whip, and they soon fall into such a habit of obedience 
that they may be taken out without the couples. 
16 



i*jo Eight Tears' Wandering's in Ceylon, 

The great desideratum, then, is to gain their affection 
and confidence, otherwise they will obey upon the road 
and laugh at you when in the jungle. Now " affection" 
is a difficult feeling to instill into a foxhound, and can 
only be partially attained by the exercise of cupboard 
love ; thus a few pieces of dry liver or bread, kept in 
the pocket to be given to a young hound who has 
sharply answered to his call, will do more good than a 
month of scolding and rating. 

" Confidence," or the want of it, in a hound depends 
entirely upon the character of his master. There is an 
old adage of "like master, like man;" and this is 
strongly displayed in the hound. The very best seizer 
would be spoiled if his master were a leetle slow in 
going in with the knife ; and, on the other hand, dogs 
naturally shy of danger turn into good seizers where 
their master invariably leads them in. 

Not only is their confidence required and gained at 
these times, but they learn to place implicit reliance 
upon their master's knowledge of hunting, in the same 
.manner that they acknowledge the superiority of a par- 
ticular hound. This induces them to obey beyond any 
method of training, as they feel a certain dependence 
upon the man, and they answer his halloo or the horn 
without a moment's hesitation. 

Nothing is so likely to destroy the character of a pack 
as a certain amount of laziness or incapacity upon the 
master's part in following them up. This is natural 
enough, as the best hounds, if repeatedly left unassisted 
for hours when at bay with their game until they aie 
regularly beaten off, will lose their relish for the spoit. 
On the other hand, perseverance on the huntsman's 
part will ensure a corresponding amount in the hounds ; 



A Sportsman ^'-Shut Up" 171 

tliey will become so accustomed to the certain appear- 
ance of their master at the bay at some time or other 
that they will stick to their game till night. I have 
frequently killed elk at two or three o'clock in the af- 
ternoon that have been found at six in the morning. 
Sometimes I have killed them even later than this when, 
after wandering fruitlessly the whole day in every di- 
rection but the right one, my ears have at length been 
gladdened by the distant sound of the bay. The par- 
ticular moment when hope and certainty combined re- 
ward the day's toil is the very quintessence of joy and 
delight. Nothing in the shape of enjoyment can come 
near it. What a strange power has that helpless-look- 
ing mass — the brain ! One moment, and the limbs are 
fagged, the shins are tender with breaking all day 
through the densest jungles, the feet are worn with un- 
requited labor, and — hark ! The bay ! no doubt of it — 
the bay! There is the magic spell which, acting on 
the brain, flies through every nerve. New legs, new 
feet, new everything, in a moment ! fresh as though 
just out of bed ; here we go tearing through the jungle 
like a buffalo, and as happy as though we had just 
come in for a fortune — happier, a great deal. 

Nevertheless, elk-hunting is not a general taste, as 
people have not opportunities of enjoying it constantly. 
Accordingly, they are out of condition, and soon be- 
come distressed and of necessity "shut up" (a vulgar 
but expressive term). This must be fine fun for a total 
stranger rather inclined to corpulency, who has daunt- 
lessly persevered in keeping up with the huntsman, 
although at some personal inconvenience. There is a 
limit to all endurance, and he is obliged to stop, quite 
blown, completely done. He loses all sounds of hounds 



172 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

and huntsman, and everything connected with the hunt. 
Where is he? How horrible the idea that flashes 
across his mind ! he has no idea where he is, except 
that he is quite certain that he is in some jungle in 
Ceylon. 

Distraction ! Ceylon is nearly all jungle, two hundred 
and eighty miles long, and he is in this — somewhere. 
He tries to recollect by what route he has come ; im- 
possible ! He has been up one mountain, and then he 
turned to the right, and got into a ravine ; he recollects 
the ravine, for he fell on his head with the end of a 
dead stick in his stomach just as he got to the bottom ; 
he forgets every other part of his route, simply having 
an idea that he went down a great many ravines and 
up a number of hills, and turned to the right and left 
several times. He gives it up ; he finds himself " lost," 
and, if he is sensible, he will sit down and wait till 
some one comes to look for him, when he will start 
with joy at the glad sound of the horn. But should he 
attempt to find his way alone through those pathless 
jungles, he will only increase his distance from the 
right course. 

One great peculiarity in Newera Ellia is the com- 
parative freedom from poisonous vermin. There are 
three varieties of snakes, only one of which is hurtful, 
and all are very minute. The venomous species is the 
" carrawelle,"'' whose bite is generally fatal ; but this 
snake is not often met with. There are no ticks, nor 
bugs, nor leeches, nor scorpions, nor white ants, nor 
wasps, nor mosquitoes ; in fact, there is nothing venom- 
ous except the snake alluded to, and a small species of 
cen1;ipede. Fleas there are certainly — indeed, a fair 



Vermin in Ceylon, 173 

sprinkling of fleas ; but they are not troublesome, ex- 
cept in houses which are unoccupied during a portion 
of the year. This is a great peculiarity of a Ceylon 
flea — he is a great colonist ; and should a house \be 
untenanted for a few months, so sure will it swarm with 
these " settlers." Even a grass hut built for a night's 
bivouac in the jungle, without a flea in the neighbor- 
hood, will literally swarm with them if deserted for a 
couple of months. Fleas have a great fancy for set- 
tling upon anything white ; thus a person with white 
trowsers will be blackened with them, while a man in 
darker colors will be comparatively free. I at first 
supposed that they appeared in larger numbers on the 
white ground because they were more easily distin- 
guished ; but I tried the experiment of putting a sheet 
of writing-paper and a piece of brown talipot leaf in 
the midst of fleas ; the paper was covered with them, 
while pnly two or three were on the talipot. 

The bite of the small species of centipede alluded to 
is not very severe, being about equivalent to a wasp's 
sting. I have been bitten myself, and I have seen 
another person suffering from the bite, which was ludi- 
crous enough. 

The suflferer was Corporal Phinn, of H.M. Fifteenth 
Resiment. At that time he was one of Lieutenant de 
Montenach's servants, and accompanied his master on 
a hunting-trip to the Horton Plains. 

Now Phinn was of course an Irishman ; an excellent 
fellow, a dead hand at tramping a bog and killing a 
snipe, but (without the slightest intention of impugning 
his veracity) Phinn's ideality was largely developed. 
He was never by himself for five minutes in the jungle 
without having seen something wonderful before his 
15* 



1 74 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon, 

return ; this he was sure to relate in a rich brogue with 
great facetiousness. 

However, we had just finished dinner one night, and 
Phinn had then taken his master's vacant place (there 
being only one room) to commence his own meal, 
when up he jumped like a madman, spluttering the 
food out of his mouth, and shouting and skipping 
about the room with both hands clutched tightly to the 
hinder part of his inexpressibles. "Oh, by Jasus ! 
help, sir, help ! IVe a reptile or some divil up my 
breeches ! Oh ! bad luck to him, he's biting me ! Oh !. 
oh ! it's sure a sarpint that's stinging me ! quick, sir, or 
he'll be the death o' me !" 

Phinn was frantic, and upon lowering his inexpress- 
ibles we found the centipede about four inches long 
which had bitten him. A little brandy rubbed on the 
part soon relieved the pain. 




CHAPTER VIII. 

OBSERVATIONS ON NATURE IN THE TROPICS — THE DUNG BEETLE 
— THE MASON FLY — SPIDERS — LUMINOUS INSECTS — EF- 
FORTS OF A NATURALIST — DOGS WORRIED BY LEECHES — 
TROPICAL DISEASES — MALARIA — CAUSES OF INFECTION — 
DISAPPEARANCE OF THE " MINA" — POISONOUS WATER — 
WELL-DIGGING ELEPHANTS. 

HOW little can the inhabitant of a cold or temper- 
ate climate appreciate the vast amount of "life" 
in a tropical country! The combined action of light, 
heat and moisture calls into existence myriads of 
creeping things, the offspring of the decay of vegeta- 
tion. " Life" appears to emanate from " death" — the 
destruction of one material seems to multify the exist- 
ence of another — the whole surface of the earth seems 
busied in one vast system of giving birth. 

An animal dies — a solitary beast — and before his unit 
life has vanished for one week, how many millions of 
living creatures owe their birth to his death ? What 
countless swarms of insects have risen frorn that one 
carcase ! — creatures which never could have been 
brought into existence were it not for the presence of 
one dead body which has received and hatched the 
deposited eggs of millions that otherwise would have 
remained unvivified. 

175 



r^6 Eight Tears' Wa7iderings in Ceylon, 

Not a tree falls, not a withered flower droops to the 
ground, not a fruit drops from the exhausted bough, but 
it is instantly attacked by the class of insect prepared 
hj Nature for its destruction. The white ant scans a 
lofty tree whose iron-like timber and giant stem would 
seem to mock at his puny efforts ; but it is rotten at 
the core and not a leaf adorns its branches, and in less 
than a year it will have fallen to the earth a mere shell ; 
the whole of the wood will hdve been devoured. 

Rottenness of all kinds is soon carried from the face 
of the land by the wise arrangements of Nature for pre- 
serving the world from plagues and diseases, which the 
deca3^ing and unconsumed bodies of animals and vege- 
tables would otherwise engender. 

How beautiful are all the laws of Nature ! how per- 
fect in their details ! Allow that the great duty o^ the 
insect tribe is to cleanse the earth and atmosphere from 
countless impurities noxious to the human race, how 
great a plague would our benefactors themselves be- 
come were it not for the various classes of carnivorous 
insects who prey upon them, and are in their turn the 
prey of others ! It is a grand principle of continual 
strife, which keeps all and each down to their required 
level. 

What a feast for an observant mind is thus afforded 
in a tropical country ! The variety and the multitude 
of living things are so great that a person of only ordi- 
nar}'' observation cannot help acquiring a tolerable 
knowled2:e of the habits of some of the most interest 
ing classes. In the common routine of daily life they 
are continually in his view, and even should he have 
no taste for the study of Nature and her productions, 
still one prevailing characteristic of the insect tribe 



Dry Beetles, 177 

must impress itself upon his mind. It is the natural 
instinct not simply of procreating their species, but of 
laying by a provision for their expected offspring. 
What a lesson to mankind ! what an example to the 
nurtured mind of man from one of the lowest classes 
of living things ! 

Here we see no rash matrimonial engagements ; no 
penniless lovers selfishly and indissolubly linked to- 
gether to propagate large families of starving children. 
All the arrangements of the insect tribe, though 
prompted by sheer instinct, are conducted with a de- 
gree of rationality that in some cases raises the mere 
instinct of the creeping thing above the assumed " rea- 
son'* of man. 

The bird builds her nest and carefully provides for 
the comfort of her young long ere she lays her fragile 
^Z%' Even look at that vulgar-looking beetle, whose 
coarse form would banish the idea of any rational feel- 
ing existing in its brain — the Billingsgate fish-woman 
of its tribe in coarseness and rudeness of exterior 
(^ScarabcEus carnifex) — see with what quickness she is 
running backward, raised almost upon her head, while 
with her hind legs she trundles a large ball ; herself no 
bigger than a nutmeg, the ball is four times the size. 
There she goes along the smooth road. The ball she 
has just manufactured from some fresh-dropped horse- 
dung ; it is as round as though turned by a lathe, and, 
although the dung has not lain an hour upon the 
ground, she and her confederates have portioned out 
the spoil, and each has started off with her separate 
ball. Not a particle of horsedung remains upon the 
road. Now she has rolled the ball away from the hard 
road, and upon the soft, sandy border she has stopped 

M 



lyS EigJit Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

to rest. No great amount of rest; she plunges her 
head into the ground, and with that shovel-like projec- 
tion of stout horn she mines her way below : she has 
disappeared even in these few seconds. 

Presently the apparently deserted ball begins to 
move, as though acted on by some subterranean force ; 
gradually it sinks to the earth, and it vanishes alto- 
gether. 

Some persons might imagine that she feeds upon the 
ordure, and that she has buried her store as a dog hides 
a bone ; but this is not the case ; she has formed a re- 
ceptacle for her eggs, which she deposits in the ball of 
dung, the warmth of which assists in bringing the lar- 
vae into life, which then feed upon the manure. 

It is wonderful to observe with what rapidity all 
kinds of dung are removed by these beetles. This is 
effected by the active process of rolling the loads instead 
of carrying, by which method a large mass is trans- 
ported at once. 

The mason-fly is also a ball-maker, but she carries 
her load and builds an elaborate nest. This insect be- 
longs to the order " Hymenoptera," and is of the Ich- 
neumon tribe, being a variety of upward of four hun- 
dred species of that interesting fly. 

The whole tribe of Ichneumon are celebrated for 
their courage ; a small fly will not hesitate to attack 
the largest cockroach, who evinces the greatest terror 
at sight of his well-known enemy ; but the greatest 
proof of valor in a fly is displayed in the war of the 
ichneumon against the spider. 

There is a great variety of this insect in Ceylon, from 
the large black species, the size of the hornet, down to 
the minute tinsel-green fly, no bigger than a gnat ; but 



Mason Flies. 179 

every one of these different species wages perpetual war 
against the arch enemy of flies. 

In very dry weather in some districts, when most 
pools and water-holes are dried up, a pail of water 
thrown upon th6 ground will as assuredly attract a 
host of mason-flies as carrion will bring together 
"blow-flies." They will be then seen in excessive 
activity upon the wet earth, forming balls of mud, by 
rolling the earth between their fore feet until they have 
manufactured each a pill. With this they fly away to 
build their nest, and immediately return for a further 
supply. 

The arrangement of the nest is a matter of much 
consideration, as the shape depends entirely upon the 
locality in which it is built: it may be in the corner of 
a room, or in a hole in a wall, or in the hollow of a 
bamboo ; but wherever it is, the principle is the same, 
although the shape of the nest may vary. Everything 
is to be hermetically sealed. 

The mason-fly commences by flattening the first pill 
of clay upon the intended site (say the corner of a 
room) ; she then spreads it in a thin layer over a sur- 
face of about two inches, and retires for another ball of 
clay. This she dabs upon the plastic foundation, and 
continues the apparently rude operation until some 
twenty or thirty pills of clay are adhering at equal dis- 
tances. She then forms these into a number of neat 
oval-shaped cells, about the size of a wren's ^%%^ and 
in each cell she deposits one ^%%. She then flies off'in 
search of spiders, which are to be laid up in stores 
within the cells as food for the young larvae when 
hatched. 

Now the transition from the larva to the fly takes 



I So Eight years^ Wanderings tn Ceylon, 

place in the cell, and occupies about six weeks from 
the time the Qg% is first laid ; thus, as the Q^'g itself is 
not vivified for some weeks after it is deposited, the 
spiders have to be preserved in a sound and fresh state 
during that interval until the larva is in such an ad- 
vanced stage as to require food. 

In a tropical country every one knows that a very few 
hours occasion the putrefaction of all dead animal sub- 
stances ; nevertheless these spiders are to be kept fresh 
and good, like our tins of preserved meats, to be eaten 
when required. 

One, two, or even three spiders^ according to their 
size, the mason-fly deposits in each cell, and then closes 
it hermetically with clay. The spiders she has pounced 
upon while sunning themselves in the centre of their 
delicate nets, and they are hurried off in a panic to be 
converted into preserved provisions. Each cell being 
closed, the whole nest is cemented over with a thick 
covering of clay. In due time the young family hatch, 
eat their allowance of spiders, undergo their torpid 
change, and emerge from their clay mansion complete 
mason-flies. 

Every variety of Ichneumon, however minute (in 
Ceylon), chooses the spider as the food for its young. 
It is not at all uncommon to find a gun well loaded 
with spiders, clay and grubs, some mason-fly having 
chosen the barrel for his location. A bunch of keys 
will invite a settlement of one of the smaller species, 
who will make its nest in the tube of a key, which it 
also fills with minute spiders. 

In attacking the spider, the mason-fly has a choice 
of his antagonist, and he takes good care to have a pre- 
ponderance of weight on his own side. His reason for 



Sfiders. l8i 

choosing this in preference to other insects for a pre- 
served store may be that the spider is naturally juicy, 
plump and compact, combining advantages both for 
keeping and packing closely. 

There are great varieties of spiders in Ceylon, one 
of which is of such enormous size as to resemble the 
Aranea avicularia of America.. This species stands 
on an area of about three inches, and never spins a 
web, but wanders about and lives in holes ; his length 
of limb, breadth of thorax and powerful jaws give him 
a most formidable appearance. There is another spe- 
cies of a large-sized spider who spins a web of about 
two and a half feet in diameter. This is composed of 
a strong, yellow, silky fibre, and so powerful is the tex- 
ture that a moderate-sized walking-cane thrown into the 
web will be retained by it. This spider is about two 
inches long, the color black, with a large yellow spot 
upon the back, and the body nearly free from hair. 

Some years ago an experiment was made in France 
of substituting the thread of the spider for the silk of 
the silkworm ; several pairs of stockings and various 
articles were manufactured with tolerable success in 
this new material, but the fibre was generally con- 
sidered as too fragile. 

A sample of such thread as is spun by the spider 
described could not have failed to produce the desired 
result, as its strength is so great that it can be wound 
upon a card without the slightest care required in the 
operation. The texture is far more silky than the fibre 
commonly produced by spiders, which has more gene- 
rally the character of cotton than of silk. 

Should this ever be experimented on, a question might 
arise of much interest to entomologists, whether a dif- 
16 



1 82 EigJit Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

ference in the food of the spider would affect the quality 
of the thread, as is well known to be the case with the 
common silkworm. 

A Ceylon night after a heavy shower of rain is a 
brilliant sight, when the whole atmosphere is teeming 
with moving lights bright as the stars themselves, wav- 
ing around the tree-tpps in fiery circles, now threading 
like distant lamps through the intricate branches and 
lighting up the dark recesses of the foliage, then rush- 
ing like a shower of sparks around the glittering 
boughs. Myriads of bright fire-flies in these wild 
dances meet their destiny, being entangled in opposing 
spiders' webs, where they hang like fairy lamps, their 
own light directing -the path of the destroyer -and assist- 
ing in their destruction. 

There are many varieties of luminous insects in Cey- 
lon. That which affords the greatest volume of light 
is a large white grub about two inches in length. 
This is a fat, sluggish animal, whose light is far more 
brilliant than could be supposed to emanate from such 
a form. 

The light of a common fire-fly will enable a person 
to distinguish the hour on a dial in a dark night, but 
the glow from the grub described will render the small- 
est print so legible that a page may be read with ease. 
I once tried the experiment of killing the grub, but the 
light was not extinguished with life, and by opening 
the tail, I squeezed out a quantity of glutinous fluid, 
which was so highly phosphorescent that it brilliantly 
illumined the page of a book which I had been reading 
by its light for a trial. 

All phosphorescent substances require friction to 
produce their full volume of light ; this is exemplified 



Lutninous Insects. 183 

at sea during a calm tropical night, when the ocean 
sleeps in utter darkness and quietude and not a ripple 
disturbs the broad surface of the water. Then the 
prow of the advancing steamer cuts through the dreary 
waste of darkness and awakens into fiery life the spray 
which dashes from her sides. A broad stream of light 
illumines the sea in her wake, and she appears to 
plough up fire in her rush through the darkened water. 

The simple friction of the moving mass agitates the 
millions of luminous animalcules contained in the 
water ; in the same manner a fish darting through the 
sea is distinctly seen by the fiery course which is" created 
by his own velocity. 

All luminous insects are provided with a certain 
amount of phosphorescent fluid, which can be set in 
action at pleasure by the agitation of a number of 
nerves and muscles situated in the region of the fluid 
and especially adapted to that purpose. It is a com- 
mon belief that the light of the glow-worm is used as 
a lamp of love to assist in nocturnal meetings, but 
there can be little doubt that the insect makes use of 
its natural brilliancy without any specific intention. It 
is as natural for the fire-fly to glitter by night as for the 
colored butterfly to be gaudy by day. 

The variety of beautiful and interesting insects is so 
great in Ceylon that an entomologist would consider it 
a temporary elysium ; neither would he have much 
trouble in collecting a host of different species who will 
exhibit themselves without the necessity of a laborious 
search. Thus, while he may be engaged in pinning 
out some rare specimen, a thousand minute "eye-flies" 
will be dancing so close to his eyeballs that seeing is 
out of the question. These little creatures, which are 



184 Hight Years' Wanderings ?Vz Ceylon. 

no larger than pins' heads, are among the greatest 
plagues in some parts of the jungle ; and what increases 
the annoyance is the knowledge of the fact that they 
dance almost into 3^our eyes out of sheer vanity. They 
are simply admiring their own reflection in the mirror 
of the eye ; or, may be, some mistake their own re- 
flected forms for other flies performing the part of a 
" vis-a-vis" in their unwearying quadrille. 

A cigar is a specific against these small plagues, and 
we will allow that the patient entomologist has just 
succeeded in putting them to flight and has resumed 
the occupation of setting out his specimen. Ha ! see 
him spring out of his chair as though electrified. 
Watch how, regardless of the laws of buttons, he fran- 
tically tears his trowsers from his limbs ; he has him ! — 
no he hasn't!^ — yes he has! — no — no, positively he can- 
not get him off*. It is a tick no bigger than a grain of 
sand, but his bite is like a red-hot needle boring into 
the skin. If all the royal family had been present, he 
could not have refrained from tearing oft" his trowsers. 

The naturalist has been out the whole morning col- 
lectings and a pretty collection he has got — a perfect 
fortune upon his legs alone. There are about a hun- 
dred ticks who have not yet commenced to feed upon 
liim ; there are also several fine specimens of the large 
flat buffalo tick ; three or four leeches are enjoying 
themselves on the juices of the naturalist ; these he had 
not felt, although they had bitten him half an hour be- 
fore ; a fine black ant has also escaped during the re- 
cent confusion, fortunately without using his sting. 

Oil is the only means of loosening the hold of a tick ; 
this suffocates him and he dies ; but he leaves an amount 
of inflammation in the wound which is perfectly sur- 



Treasures for the Entomologist. 185 

prising in so minute an insect. The bite of the smallest 
species is far more severe than that of the large buffalo 
or the deer tick, both of which are varieties. 

Although the leeches in Ceylon are excessively an- 
noying, and numerous among the dead leaves of the 
jungle and the high grass, they are easily guarded 
against by means of leech-gaiters : these are wide 
stockings, made of drill or some other light and close 
material, which are drawn over the foot and trowsers 
up to the knee, under which they are securely tied. 
There are three varieties of the leech : the small jungle 
leech, the common leech and the stone leech. The 
latter will frequently creep up the nostrils of a dog 
while he is drinking in a stream, and, unlike the other 
species, it does not drop off* when satiated, but con- 
tinues to live in the dog's nostril. I have known a 
leech of this kind to have lived more than two months 
in the nose of one of my hounds ; he was so high up 
that I could only see his tail occasionally when he 
relaxed to his full length, and injections of salt and 
water had no effect on him. Thus I could not relieve 
the dog till one day when the leech descended, and I 
observed the tail working in and out of the nostril ; I 
then extracted him in the usual way with the finger and 
thumb and the tail of the coat. 

I should be trespassing too much upon the province 
of the naturalist, and attempting more than I could ac- 
complish, were I to enter into the details of the ento- 
mology of Ceylon ; I have simply mentioned a few of 
those insects most common to the every-day observer, 
and I leave the description of the endless varieties of 
classes to those who make entomology a study. 

It may no doubt appear very enticing to the lovers of 
16* 



1 86 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

such things, to hear of the gorgeous colors and prodigious 
size of butterflies, moths and beetles ; the varieties of 
reptiles, the flying foxes, the gigantic crocodiles ; the 
countless species of waterfowl, et hoc genus omne ; but 
one very serious fact is apt to escape the observation of 
the general reader, that wherever insect and reptile life 
is most abundant, so sure is that locality full of malaria 
and disease. 

Ceylon does not descend to second-class diseases: 
there is no such thing as influenza ; hooping-cough, 
measles, scarlatina, etc., are rarely, if ever, heard of; 
we ring the changes upon four first-class ailments — four 
scourges, which alternately ascend to the throne of pes- 
tilence and annually reduce the circle of our friends — 
cholera, dysentery, small-pox and fever. This year 
(1854) there has been some dispute as to the routine 
of succession ; they have accordingly all raged at one 
time. 

The cause of infection in disease has long been a 
subject of controversy among medical men, but there 
can be little doubt that, whatever is the origin of the 
disease, the same is the element of infection. The ques- 
tion is, therefore, reduced to the prime cause of the dis- 
ease itself. 

A theory that animalcules are the cause of the various 
contagious and infectious disorders has created much 
discussion ; and although this opinion is not generally 
entertained by the faculty, the idea is so feasible, and 
so many rational arguments can be brought forward in 
its support, that I cannot help touching upon a topic so 
generall}' interesting. 

In the first place, nearly all infectious diseases pre- 
dominate in localities which are ho t, damp, swampy, 



Malaria. 187 

abounding in stagnant pools and excluded from a free 
circulation of air. In a tropical country, a residence in 
such a situation would be certain death to a human 
being, but the same locality will be found to swarm 
with insects and reptiles of all classes. 

Thus, what is inimical to human life is propitious to 
the insect tribe. This is the first step in favor of the 
argument. Therefore, whatever shall tend to increase 
the insect life must in an inverse ratio war with human 
existence. 

When we examine a drop of impure water, and dis- 
cover by the microscope the thousands of living beings 
which not only are invisible to the naked eye, but some 
of whom are barely discoverable even by the strongest 
magnifying power, it certainly leads to the inference, 
that if one drop of impure fluid contains countless 
atoms endowed with vitality, the same amount of im- 
pure air may be equally tenanted with its myriads of 
invisible inhabitants. 

It is well known that different mixtures, which are 
at first pure and apparently free from all insect life, 
will, in the course of their fermentation and subsequent 
impurity, generate peculiar species of animalcules. 
Thus all water and vegetable or animal matter, in a 
state of stagnation and decay, gives birth to insect life ; 
likewise all substances of every denomination which 
are subjected to putrid fermentation. Unclean sewers, 
filthy hovels, unswept streets, unwashed clothes, are 
therefore breeders of animalcules, many of which are 
perfectly visible without microscopic aid. 

Now, if some are discernible by the naked eye, and 
others are detected in such varying sizes that some can 
only just be distinguished by the most powerful lens, is 



i88 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

it not rational to conclude that the smallest discernible 
to human intelligence is but the medium of a countless 
race ? that millions of others still exist, which are too 
minute for any observation? 

Observe the particular quarters of a city which suffer 
most severely during the prevalence of an epidemic. 
In all dirty, narrow streets, where the inhabitants are 
naturally of a low and uncleanly class, the cases will be 
tenfold. Thus, filth is admitted to have at least the 
power of attracting disease, and we know that it not 
only attracts, but generates animalcules ; therefore filth, 
insects and disease are ever to be seen closely linked 
together. 

Now, the common preventives againt infection are 
such as are peculiarly inimical to every kind of insect ; 
camphor, chloride of lime, tobacco-smoke, and power- 
ful scents and smokes of any kind. The first im- 
pulse on the appearance of an infectious disease is to 
purify everything as much as possible, and by extra 
cleanliness and furpigations to endeavor to arrest its 
progress. The great purifier of Nature is a violent 
wind, which usually terminates an epidemic immedi- 
ately ; this would naturally carry before it all insect life 
with which the atmosphere might be impregnated, and 
the disease disappears at the same moment. It will be 
well remembered that the plague of locusts inflicted 
upon Pharaoh was relieved in the same manner : 

"And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, 
which took away the locusts and cast them into the Red 
Sea ; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of 
Egypt." 

Every person is aware that unwholesome air is quite 



Disappearance of the ^*Mina.''^ 189 

as poisonous to the human system as impure water ; 
and seeing that the noxious qualities of the latter are 
caused by animalcules, and that the method used for 
purifying infected air are those most generally destruct- 
ive to insect life, it is not irrational to conclude that 
the poisonous qualities of bad water and bad air arise 
from the samq cause. 

Man is being constantly preyed upon by insects ; and 
were it not for ordinary cleanliness, he would become 
a mass of vermin ; even this does not protect him from 
the rapacity of ticks, mosquitoes, fleas and many 
others. Intestinal worms feed on him within, and, 
unseen, use their slow efforts for his destruction. 

The knowledge of so many classes which actually 
prey upon the human system naturally leads to the 
belief that many others endowed with the same pro- 
pensities exist, of which we have at present no concep- 
tion. Thlis, different infectious disorders might pro- 
ceed from peculiar species of animalcules, which, at 
given periods, are wafted into certain countries, carry- 
ing pestilence and death in their invisible course. 

A curious phenomenon has recently occurred at 
Mauritus, where that terrible scourge, the cholera, has 
been raging with desolating effect. 

There is a bird in that island called the *' martin," 
but it is more properly the " mina." This bird is 
about the size of the starling, whose habits its possesses 
in a great degree. It exists in immense numbers, and 
is a grand destroyer of all insects. On this account it 
is seldom or never shot at, especially as it is a great 
comforter to all cattle, whose hides it entirely cleans 
from ticks and other vermin, remaining for many hours 
perched upon the back of one animal, while its bill is 



190 KigJit Tear^ tVande rings in Ceyton* 

actively employed in searching out and destroying every 
insect. 

During the prevalence of the cholera at Mauritius 
these birds disappeared. Such a circumstance had 
never before occurred, and the real cause of their 
departure is still a mystery. 

May it not have been, that some species of insect 
upon vv^hich they fed had likewise migrated, and that 
certain noxious animalcules, which had been kept down 
by this class, had thus multiplied within the atmos- 
phere until their numbers caused disease.? All suppo- 
sitions on such a subject must, however, remain in 
obscurity, as no proof can be adduced of their correct- 
ness. The time may arrive when science may success- 
fully grapple with all human ailments, but hitherto 
that king of pestilence, the " cholera," has reduced the 
highest medical skill to miserable uncertainty. 

Upon reconsidering the dangers of fevers, dysentery, 
etc., in the swampy and confined districts described, 
the naturalist may become somewhat less ardent in fol- 
lowing his favorite pursuit. Of one fact I can assure 
him-:— that no matter how great the natural strength of 
his constitution, the repeated exposure to the intense 
heat of the sun, the unhealthy districts that he will visit, 
the nights redolent of malaria, and the horrible water 
that he must occasionally drink, will gradually under- 
mine the power of the strongest man. Both sportsman 
and naturalist in this must share alike. 

No one who has not actually suffered from the effect 
can appreciate the misery of bad water in a tropical 
country, or the blessings of a cool, pure draught. I 
have been in districts of Ceylon where for sixteen or 
twenty miles not a drop of water is to be obtained fit 



Poisonous Water, 19J 

foi an animal to drink ; not a tr^e to throw a few yards 
of shade upon the parching ground; nothing but 
stunted, thorny jungles and sandy, barren plains as far 
as the eye can reach ; the yellow leaves crisp upon the 
withered branches, the wild fruits hardened for want 
of sap, all moisture robbed from vegetation by the piti- 
less drought of several months. 

A day's work in such a country is hard indeed — 
carrying a heavy rifle for some five^and-twenty miles, 
sometimes in deep sand, sometimes on good ground, 
but always exposed to the intensity of that blaze, added 
to the reflection from the sandy soil, and the total want 
of fresh air and water. All Nature seems stagnated ; 
a distant pool is seen, and a general rush takes place 
toward the cheering sight. The water is thicker than 
pease soup, a green scum floats through the thickened 
mass, and the temperature is upward of 130° Fahr. 
All kinds of insects are swarming in the putrid fluid, 
and a saltish bitter adds to its nauseating flavor. I 
have seen the exhausted coolies spread their dirty cloths 
upon the surface, and form them into filters by sucking 
the water through them. Oh for a glass of Newera 
EUia water, the purest and best that ever flows, as it 
sparkles out of the rocks on the mountain-tops ! what 
pleasure so perfect as a long, deep and undisturbed 
draught of such cold, clear nectar when the throat is 
parched with unquenchable thirst! 

In some parts of Ceylon, especially in the neighbor- 
hood of the coast, where the land is flat and sandy, the 
water is always brackish, even during the rainy season, 
and in the dry months it is undrinkable. 

The natives then make use of a berry for cleansing 
it and precipitating the impurities, I know the shrub 



M92 Eight Tears' Wandering's in Ceylon. 

and the berry well, but it has no English denomina- 
tion. The berries are about the size of a very large 
pea, and grow in clusters of from ten to fifteen together, 
and one berry is said to be sufficient to cleanse a gallon 
of water. The method of using them is curious, 
although simple. The vessel which is intended to 
contain the water, which is generally an earthen chatty, 
is well rubbed in the inside with a berry until the lat- 
ter, which is of a horny consistency, like vegetable 
ivory, is completely worn away. The chatty is then 
filled with the muddy water, and allowed to stand for 
about an hour or more, until all the impurities have 
precipitated to the bottom and the water remains 
clear. 

I have constantly used this berry, but I certainly can- 
not say that the water has ever been rendered perfectly 
clear ; it has been vastly improved, and what was 
totally undrinkable before has been rendered fit for 
use ; but it has at the best been only comparatively 
good ; and although the berry has produced a decided 
effect, the native accounts of its properties are greatly 
ex.a-ggerated. 

During the prolonged droughts, many rivers of con- 
siderable magnitude are completely exhausted, and 
nothing remains but a dry bed of sand between lofty 
banks. At these seasons the elephants, being hard 
pressed for water, make use of their wonderful instinct 
by digging holes in the dry sand of the river's bed ; 
this they perform with the horny toes of their fore feet,* 
and fi'equently work to a depth of three feet before they 
discover the liquid treasure beneath. This process of 
well-digging almost oversteps the boundaries of in- 
stinct and strongly savors of reason, the two powers 



Well-Digging Elephants, 



193 



being so nearly connected that it is difficult in some 
cases to define the distinction. There are so many- 
interesting cases of the wonderful display of both these 
attributes in animals, that I shall notice some features 
of this subject in a separate chapter. 




CHAPTER IX. 

INSTINCT AND REASON — TAILOR-BIRDS AND GROSBEAKS — THE 
WHITE ANT — BLACK ANTS AT WAR — ^WANDEROO MONKEYS 
— HABITS OF ELEPHANTS — ELEPHANTS IN THE LAKE — 

HERD OF ELEPHANTS BATHING — ELEPHANT-SHOOTING 

THE RENCONTRE — THE CHARGE CAUGHT BY THE TAIL — 

HORSE GORED BY A BUFFALO — SAGACITY OF DOGS— 
"BLUEBEARD" — HIS HUNT — A TRUE HOUND. 

• 

THERE can be no doubt that man is not the only 
animal endowed with reasoning powers : he pos- 
sesses that faculty to an immense extent, but although 
the amount of the same power possessed by animals 
may be infinitely small, nevertheless it is their share 
of reason, which they occasionally use apart from mere 
instinct. 

Although instinct and reason appear to be closely 
allied, they are easily separated and defined. 

Instinct is the faculty with which Nature has en- 
dowed all animals for the preservation and continuation 
of their own species. This is accordingly exhibited in 
various features, as circumstances may call forth the 
operation of the power ; but so wonderful are the attri- 
butes of Nature that the details of her arrangements 
throughout the animal and insect creation give to every 
class an amount of sense which in many instances sur- 
mounts the narrow bounds of simple instinct. 
194 



Instinct and Reason. 195 

The great characteristic of sheer instinct is its want 
of progression ; it never increases, never improves. 
It is possessed now in the nineteenth century by every 
race of living creatures in no larger proportion than 
was bestowed upon them at the creation. 

In general, knowledge increases like a rolling snow- 
ball ; a certain amount forms a base for extra improve- 
ment, and upon successive foundations of increasing 
altitude the eminence has been attained of the present 
era. This is the effect of "reason;" but "instinct," 
although beautiful in its original construction, remains, 
like the blossom of a tree, ever the same — a limited 
effect produced by a given cause ; an unchangeable 
law of Nature that certain living beings shall perform 
certain functions which require a certain amount of in- 
telligence ; this amount is supplied by Nature for the 
performance of the duties required ; this is instinct. 

Thus, according to the requirements necessitated by 
the habits of certain living creatures to an equivalent 
amount is their share of instinct. 

Reason differs from instinct as combining the effects 
of thought and reflection ; this being a proof of con- 
sideration., while instinct is simply a direct emanation 
from the brain, confined to an impulse. 

In our observations of Nature, especially in ' tropical 
countries, we see numberless exemplifications of these 
powers, in some of which the efforts of common in- 
stinct halt upon the extreme boundary and have almost 
a tinge of reason. 

What can be more curious than the nest of the 
" tailor-bird?" — a selection of tough leaves neatly sewn 
one over the other to form a waterproof exterior to the 
comfortable little dwelling within.'* Where does the 



196 Eight Tears' Wanderings i7t Ceylon. 

needle and thread come from ? ' The first is the deli- 
cate bill of the bird itself, and the latter is the strong 
fibre of the bark of a tree, with which the bird sews 
every leaf, lapping one over the other in the same man- 
ner that slates are laid upon a roof. 

Nevertheless this is simple instinct ; the tailor-bird in 
the days of Adam constructed her nest in a similar 
manner, which will be continued without improvement 
till the end of time. 

The grosbeak almost rivals the tailor-bird in the 
beautiful formation of its nest. These birds build in 
company, twenty or thirty nests being common upon 
one tree. Their apparent intention in the peculiar con- 
struction of their nests is to avoid the attacks of snakes 
and lizards. These nests are about two feet long, com- 
posed of beautifully woven grass, shaped like an elon- 
gated pear. They are attached like fruit to the extreme 
end of a stalk or branch, from which they wave to and 
fro in the wind, as though hung out to dry. The bird 
enters at a funnel-like aperture in the bottom, and by 
this arrangement the young are effectually protected 
from reptiles. 

All nests, whether of birds or insects, are particularly 
interesting, as they explain the domestic habits of the 
occupants ; but, however wonderful the arrangement 
and the beauty of the work as exhibited among birds, 
bees, wasps, etc., still it is the simple effect of instinct 
on the principle that they never vary. 

The white ant — that grand destroyer of all timber — 
always works under cover ; he builds as he progresses 
in his work of destruction, and runs a long gallery of 
fine clay in the direction of his operations ; beneath 
this his devastation proceeds until he has penetrated to 



Instinct a?id Reason, 197 

the interior of the beam, the centre of which he en- 
tirely demolishes, leaving a thin shell in the form of 
the original log, encrusted over the exterior with nu- 
merous galleries. 

There is less interest in the habits of these destructive 
wretches than in all other of the ant tribe ; they build 
stupendous nests, it is true, but their interior economy 
is less active and thrifty than that of many other 
species of ants, among which there is a greater appear 
ance of the display of reasoning powers than in most 
animals of a superior class. 

On a fine sunny morning it is not uncommon to see 
ants busily engaged in bringing out all the eggs from 
the nest and laying them in the sun until they become 
thoroughly warmed, after which .they carry them all 
back again and lay them in their respectiv^e places. 
This looks very like a power of reasoning, as it is deci- 
, dedly beyond instinct. If they were to carry out the 
eggs every morning, wet or dry, it would be an effort 
of instinct to the detriment of the eggs ; but as the 
weather is uncertain, it is an effort of reason on the 
part of the ants to bring out the eggs to the sun, espe- 
cially as it is not an every-day occurrence, even in fine 
weather. 

In Mauritius, the negroes have a custom of turn- 
ing the reasoning powers of the large black ant to 
advantage. 

White ants are frequently seen passing in and out of 
a small hole from underneath a building, in which case 
their ravages could only be prevented by taking up the 
flooring and destroying the nest. 

The negroes avoid this by their knowledge of the hab- 
its of the black ant, who is a sworn enemy to the white, 
17* 



198 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon, 

They accordingly pour a little treacle on the ground 
within a yard of the hole occupied by the white ants. 
The smell of the treacle shortly attracts some of the 
black species, who, on their arrival are not long in 
observing their old enemies passing In and out of the 
hole. Some of them leave the treacle ; these are evi- 
dently messengers, as in the course of the day a w^hole 
army of black ants will be seen advancing in a narrow 
line of many yards in length, to storm the stronghold 
of the white ants. They enter the hole, and they destroy 
every white ant in the building. Resistance there can 
be none, as the plethoric, slow-going white ant is as a 
mouse to a cat in the encounter with his active enemy, 
added to which the black ant is furnished with a most 
venomous sting, in addition to a powerful pair of man- 
dibles. I have seen the black ants returning from their 
work of destruction, each carrying a slaughtered white 
ant in his mouth, which he devours at leisure. This is 
again a decided effort of reason, as the black ant arrives 
at the treacle without a thought of the white ant in his 
mind, but, upon seeing his antagonist, he despatches 
messengers for reinforcements, who eventually bring up 
the army to the " rendezvous." 

Numerous instances might be cited of the presence 
of reasoning powers among the insect classes, but this 
faculty becomes of increased interest when seen in the 
larger animals. 

Education is both a proof and a promoter of reason 
in all animals. This removes them from their natural 
or instinctive position, and brings forth the full develop- 
ment of the mental powers. This is exhibited in the 
performance of well-trained dogs, especially among 
pointers and setters. Again, in the feats performed by 



Reason of Dogs and EltpJiants. 1^9 

educated animals in the circus, where the elephant has 
lately endeavored to prove a want of common sense by 
standing on his head. Nevertheless, however absurd 
the tricks which man may teach the animal to perform, 
the very fact of their performance substantiates an 
amount of reason in the animal. 

Monkeys, elephants and dogs are naturally endowed 
with a larger share of the reasoning power than other 
animals, which is frequently increased to a wonderful 
extent by education. The former, even in their wild 
state, are so little inferior to some natives, either in 
their habits or appearance, that I should feel some 
reluctance in denying them an almost equal share of 
reason ; the want of speech certainly places them below 
the Veddahs, but the monkeys, on the other hand, 
might assert a superiority by a show of tails. 

Monkeys vary in intelligence according to their 
species, and may be taught to do almost anything. 
There are several varieties in Ceylon, among which the 
great black wanderoo, with white whiskers, is the 
nearest in appearance to the human race. This monkey 
stands upward of three feet*^high, and Weighs about 
eighty pounds. He has immense muscular power, and 
he has also a great peculiarity in the formation of the 
skull, which is closely allied to that of a human being, 
the lower jaw and the upper being in a straight line 
with the forehead. In monkeys the jaws usually pro- 
ject. This species exists in most parts of Ceylon, but 
I have seen it of a larger size at Newera Ellia than in 
any of the low-country districts. 

Elephants are proverbially sagacious, both in their 
wild state and when domesticated. I have previously 
described the building of a dam by a tame -^iephant, 



zoo Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

which was an exhibition of reason hardly to be ex- 
pected in any animal. They are likewise wonderfully 
sagacious in a wild state in preserving themselves from 
accidents, to which, from their bulk and immense 
weight, they would be particularly liable, such as the 
crumbling of the verge of a precipice, the insecurity of 
a bridge or the suffocating depth of mud in a lake. 

It is the popular opinion, and I have seen it ex- 
pressed in many works, that the elephant shuns rough 
and rocky ground, over which he moves with difficulty, 
and that he delights in level plains, etc., etc. This may 
be the case in Africa, where his favorite food, the mi- 
mosa, grows upon the plain, but in Ceylon it is directly 
the contrary. In this country the elephant delights in 
the most rugged localities ; he rambles about rocky 
hills and mountains with a nimbleness that no one can 
understand without personal experience. So partial 
are elephants to rocky and uneven ground that should 
the ruins of a mountain exist in rugged fragments 
among a plain of low, thorny jungle, five chances to 
one would be in favor of tracking the herd to this very 
spot, where they would most likely be found, standing 
among the alleys formed by the fragments heaped 
around them. It is surprising to witness the dexterity 
of elephants in traversing ground over which a man 
can pass with difficulty. I have seen places on the 
mountains in the neighborhood of Newera Ellia bear- 
ing the unmistakable marks of elephants where I 
could not have conceived if possible for such an animal 
to stand. On the precipitous sides of jungle-covered 
mountains, where the ground is so steep that a man is 
forced to cling to the underwood for support, the ele- 
phants still plough their irresistible course. In descend* 



Habits of Elephants. 20i 

ing or ascending these places, the elephant always 
describe^ a, zigzags and thus lessens the abruptness of 
the inclination. Their immense weight acting on their 
broad feet, bordered by sharp horny toes, cuts away the 
side of the hill at every stride and forms a level step ; 
thus they are enabled to skirt the sides of precipitous 
hills and banks with comparative ease. The trunk is 
the wonderful monitor of all danger to an elephant, 
from whatever cause it may proceed. This may arise 
from the approach of man or from the character of the 
country ; In either case the trunk exerts its power ; in one 
by the acute sense of smell, in the other by the combi- 
nation of the sense of scent and touch. In dense jun- 
gles, where the elephant cannot see a yard before him, 
the sensitive trunk feels the hidden way, and when the 
roaring of waterfalls admonishes him of the presence 
of ravines and precipices, the never-failing trunk low- 
ered upon the ground keeps him advised of every inch 
of his path. 

Nothing is more difficult than to induce a tame ele- 
phant to cross a bridge which his sagacity assures him 
is insecure ; he will sound it with his trunk and press 
upon it with one foot, but he will not trust his weight 
if he can perceive the slightest vibration. 

Their power of determining whether bogs or the 
mud at the bottom of tanks are deep or shallow is be- 
yond my comprehension. Although I have seen ele- 
phants in nearly every position, I have never seen one 
inextricably fixed in a swamp. This is the more extra- 
ordinary as their habits induce them to frequent the 
most extensive morasses, deep lakes, muddy tanks and 
estuaries, and yet I have never seen even a young one 
get into a scrape by being overwhelmed. There ap« 



202 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

pears to be a natural instinct which warns them in theif 
choice of ground, the same as that which influences the 
buffalo, and in like manner guides him through his 
swampy haunts. 

It is a grand sight to see a large herd of elephants 
feeding in a fine lake in broad daylight. This is sel- 
dom witnessed in these days, as the number of guns 
have so disturbed the elephants in Ceylon that they 
rarely come out to drink until late in the evening or 
during the night ; but some time ago I had a fine view 
of a grand herd in a lake in the middle of the day. 

I was out shooting with a great friend of mine, who 
is a brother-in-arms against the game of Ceylon, and 
than whom a better sportsman does not breathe, and 
we had arrived at a wild and miserable place while en 
route home after a jungle trip. Neither of us was feel- 
ing well ; we had been for some weeks in the most un- 
healthy part of the country, and I was just recovering 
from a touch of dysentery : altogether, we were looking 
forward with pleasure to our return to comfortable 
quarters, and for the time we were tired of jungle life. 
However, we arrived at a little village about sixty miles 
south of Batticaloa, called " Gollagangwellewev6 " 
(pronunciation requires practice), and a very long 
name it was for so small a place ; but the natives in- 
sisted that a great number of elephants were in the 
neighborhood. 

They also declared that the elephants infested the 
neighboring tank even during the forenoon, and that 
they nightly destroyed their embankment, and would 
not be driven away, as there was not a single gun pos- 
sessed by the village with which to scare them. This 
looked all right ; so we loaded the guns and started 



Elephants in the Lake, 20;; 



without loss of^time, as it was then one p. m., and the 
natives described the tank as a mile distant. Being 
perfectly conversant with the vague idea of space 
described by a Cingalese mile, v^e mounted our horses, 
and, accompanied by about five-and-twenty villagers, 
twenty of whom I wished at Jericho, we started. By 
the by, I have quite forgotton to describe who " we" 
are — ^F. H. Palliser, Esq., and myself. 

Whether or not it was because I did not feel in brisk 
health, I do not know, but somehow or other I had a 
presentiment that the natives had misled us, and that 
we should not find the elephants in the tank, but that, 
as usual, we should be led up to some dense, thorny 
jungle, and told that the elephants were somewhere in 
that direction. Not being very sanguine, I had accord- 
ingly taken no trouble about my gun-bearers, and I saw 
several of my rifles in the hands of the villagers, and 
only one of my regular gun-bearers had followed me ; 
the rest, having already had a morning's march, were 
2:lad of an excuse to remain behind. 

Our rate lay for about a quarter of a mile through 
deserted paddy-land and low jungle, after which we 
entered fine open jungle and forest. Unfortunately, the 
recent heavy rains had filled the tank, which had over- 
flowed the broken dam and partially flooded the forest. 
This was in all parts within two hundred yards from 
the dam a couple of feet deep in water, with a propor- 
tionate amount of sticky mud beneath, and through 
this we splashed until the dam appeared about fifty 
yards on our right. It was a simple earthern mound, 
which rose about ten feet from the level of the forest, 
and was studded with immense trees, apparently the 
growth of ages. We knew that the tank lay on the 



204 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon* 

opposite side, but we continued our course parallel with 
the dam until we had ridden about a mile from the 
village, the natives, for a wonder, having truly described 
the distance. 

Here our guide, having motioned us to stop, ran 
quickly up the dam to take a look out on the opposite 
side. He almost immediately beckoned us to come up. 
This we did without loss of time, and knowing that the 
game was in view, I ordered the horses to retire for 
about a quarter of a mile. 

On our arrival on the dam there was a fine sight 
The lake was about five miles round, and was quite 
full of water, the surface of which was covered with a 
scanty, but tall, rushy grass. In the lake, browsing 
upon the grass, we counted twenty-three elephants, and 
there were many little ones, no doubt, that we could 
not distinguish in such rank vegetation. Five large 
elephants were not more than a hundred and twenty 
paces distant ; the remaining eighteen were in a long 
line about a quarter of a mile from the shore, feeding 
in deep water. 

We were well concealed by the various trees which 
grew upon the dam, and we passed half an hour in 
watching the manoeuvres of the great beasts as they 
bathed and sported in the cool water. However, this 
was not elephant-shooting, and the question was. How 
to get at them ? The natives had no idea of the sport, 
as tliey seemed to think it very odd that we did not fire 
at those within a hundred paces' distance. I now 
regretted my absent gun-bearers, as I plainly saw that 
these village people would be worse than useless. 

We determined to take a stroll along the base of the 
dam to reconnoitre the ground, as at present it seemed 



Elephant 'Shooting* 205 

impossible to make an attack ; and even were the ele- 
phants within the forest, there appeared to be no possi 
bility of following them up through such deep water 
and heavy ground with any chance of success. How- 
ever, they were not in the forest, being safe, belly and 
shoulder deep, in the tank. 

We strolled through mud and water thigh-deep for a 
few hundred paces, when we suddenly came upon the 
spot where in ages past the old dam had been carried 
away. Here the natives had formed a mud embank- 
ment strengthened by sticks and wattles. Poor fellows ! 
we were not surprised at their wishing the elephants 
destroyed ; the repair of their fragile dam was now a 
daily occupation, for the elephants, as though out of 
pure mischief, had chosen this spot as their thorough- 
fare to and from the lake, and the dam was trodden 
down in all directions. 

We found that the margin of the forest was every- 
where flooded to a width of about two hundred yards, 
after which it was tolerably dry ; we therefore returned 
to our former post. 

It struck me that the* only way to secure a shot at the 
herd would be to employ a ruse, which I had once 
practiced successfully some years ago. Accordingly 
we sent the greater part of the villagers for about a 
half a mile along the edge of the lake, with orders to 
shout and make a grand hullaballoo on arriving at their 
station. It seemed most probable that on being dis- 
turbed the elephants would retreat to the forest by their 
usual thoroughfare ; we accordingly stood on the alert, 
ready for a rush to any given point which the herd 
should attempt in their retreat. 

Some time passed In expectation, when a sudden 
18 



2o6 EigJit I'cars' Wandering's in Ceylon, 

yell broke from the far point, as though twenty demons 
had cramp in the stomach. Gallant fellows are the 
Cingalese at making a noise, and a grand effect this had 
upon the elephants ; up went tails and trunks, the whole 
herd closed together and made a simultaneous rush for 
their old thoroughfare. Away we skipped through the 
water, straight in shore through the forest, until we 
reached the dry ground, when, turning sharp to our 
right, we soon halted exactly opposite the point at 
which we knew the elephants would enter the forest. 
This was grand e:^citement ; we had a great start of 
the herd, so that we had plenty of time to arrange gun- 
bearers and take our position for the rencontre. 

In the mean time, the roar of water caused by the 
rapid passage of so many large animals approached 
nearer and nearer. Pallser and I had taken splendid 
positions, so as to command either side of the herd on 
their arrival, with our gun-bearers squatted around us 
behind our respective trees, while the non-sporting 
village followers, who now began to think the matter 
rather serious and totally devoid of fun, scrambled up 
various large trees with ape-like- activity. 

A few minutes of glorious suspense, and the grand 
crash and roar of broken water approached close at 
hand, and we distinguished the mighty phalanx, headed 
by the largest elephants, bearing down exactly upon us, 
and not a hundred yards distant. Here was luck ! 
There was a grim and very murderous smile of satis- 
faction on either countenance as we quietly cocked the 
rifles and awaited the onset : it was our intention to let 
half the herd pass us before we opened upon them, as 
we should then be in the very centre of the mass, and 
be able to get good and rapid shooting. 



The Renconiri, 207 

On came the herd in gallant style, throwing the spray 
from the muddy water, and keeping a direct line for 
our concealed position. They were within twenty 
yards, and we were still undiscovered, when those ras- 
cally villagers, who had already taken to the trees, 
scrambled still higher in their fright at the close ap 
proach of the elephants, and by this movement they 
gave immediate alarm to the leaders of the herd. 

Round went the colossal heads ; right about was 
the word, and away dashed the whole herd back toward 
the tank. In the same instant we made a rush in 
among them, and I floored one of the big leaders by a 
shot behind the ear, and immediately after, as bad luck 
would have it, Palliser and I both took the same bird, 
and down went another to the joint shots. Palliser 
then got another shot and bagged one more, when the 
herd pushed straight out to the deep lake, with the ex- 
ception of a few elephants, who turned to the right ; 
after which Palliser hurried through the mud and water, 
while I put on all steam in chase of the main body of 
the herd. It is astonishing to what an amount a man 
can get up this said steam in such a pitch of excitement. 
However, it was of no use in this case, as I was soon 
hip-deep in water, and there was an end to all pursuit 
in that direction. 

It immediately struck me that the elephants would 
again retreat to some other part of the forest after hav- 
ing made a circuit in the tank. I accordingly waded 
back at my best speed to terra Jirma^ and then striking 
off to my right, I ran along parallel. to the water for 
about half a mile, fully expecting to meet the herd 
once more an their entrance to the jungle. It was now 
that I deplored the absence of my regular gun-bearers j 



2o3 Eight Years^ Wanderings in Ceylon. 

the village people had no taste for this gigantic scale of 
amusement, and the men who carried my guns would 
not keep up ; fortunately, Carrasi, the best gun-bearer, 
was there, and he had taken another loaded rifle, after 
handing me that which he had carried at the onset. I 
waited a few moments for the lagging men, and suc- 
ceeded in getting them well together just as I heard 
the rush of water, as the elephants were again entering 
the jungle, not far in advance of the spot upon which I 
stood. 

This time they were sharp on the qui vive, and the 
bulls, being well to the front, were keeping a bright 
look-out. It was in vain that I endeavored to conceal 
myself until the herd had got well into the forest ; the 
gun-bearers behind me did not take the same precau- 
tion, and the leading elephants both saw and winded 
us when at a hundred paces distant. This time, how- 
ever, they were determined to push on for a piece of 
thicker jungle, which they knew lay in this direction, 
and upon seeing me running toward them, they did not 
turn back to the lake, but slightly altered their course 
in an oblique direction, still continuing to push on 
through the forest, while I was approaching at right 
angles with the herd. 

Hallooing and screaming at them with all my might 
to tease some of the old bulls into a charge, I ran at 
top speed through the fine open forest, and soon got 
among a whole crowd of half-grown elephants, at 
which I would not fire ; there were a lot of fine beasts 
pushing along in the front, and toward these I ran as 
hard as I could go. Unfortunately, the herd seeing me 
so near and gaining upon them, took to the ruse of a 
oeaten fleet and scattered in all directions ; but I kept 



The Charge. 209 

a few big fellows in view, who were still pretty well 
together, and managed to overtake the rearmost and 
knock him over. Up went the tail and trunk of one 
of the leading bulls at the report of the shot, and 
trumpeting shrilly, he ran first to one side, then to the 
other, with his ears cocked and sharply turning his 
head to either side. I knew this fellow had his monkey 
up, and that a little teasing would bring him round for 
a charge. I therefore redoubled my shouts and yells 
and kept on in full chase, as the elephants were strain- 
ing every nerve to reach a piece of thick jungle within 
a couple of hundred paces. 

I could not go any faster, and I saw that the herd, 
which was thirty or forty yards ahead of me, would 
gain the jungle before I could overtake them, as they 
were going at a slapping pace and I was tolerably 
blown with a long run at full speed, part of which had 
been through deep mud and water. But I still teased 
the bull, who was now in such an excited state that I 
felt convinced he would turn to charge. 

The leading elephants rushed into the thick jungle, 
closely followed by the others, and, to my astonishment, 
my excited friend, who had lagged to the rear, followed 
their example. But it was only for a few seconds, for, 
on entering the thick bushes, he wheeled sharp round 
and came rushing out in full charge. This was very 
plucky, but very foolish, as his retreat was secured when 
in the thick jungle, and yet he courted further battle. 
This he soon had enough of, as I bagged him in his 
onset with my remaining barrel by the forehead shot. 

I now heard a tremendous roaring of elephants be- 
hind me, as though another section was coming in 
from the tank ; this I hoped to meet. I therefore re- 
18* 



3IO Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon, 

loaded the empty rifles as quickly as possible and ran 
toward the spot. The roaring still continued and was 
apparently almost stationary ; and what was my disap- 
pointment, on arrival, to find, in place of the expected 
herd, a young elephant of about four feet high, who 
had missed the main body in the retreat and was now 
roaring for his departed friends ! These young things 
are excessively foolhardy and willful, and he charged 
me the moment I arrived. As I laid the rifle upon tht 
ground instead of firing at him, the rascally gun 
bearers, with the exception of Carrasi, threw down th^. 
rifles and ran up. the trees like so many monkeys, jus* 
as I had jumped on one side and caught the young ele- 
phant by the tail. He was far too strong for me to 
hold, and, although I dug my heels into the ground 
and held on with all my might, he fairly ran away with 
me through the forest. Carrasi now came to my as- 
sistance and likewise held on by his tail ; but away we 
went like the tender to a steam-engine ; wherever the 
elephant went there we were dragged in company. 
Another man now came to the rescue ; but his assist- 
ance was not of the slightest use, as the animal was so 
powerful and of such weight that he could have run 
away with half a dozen of us unless his legs were tied. 
Unfortunately we had no rope, or I could have secured 
him immediately, and seeing that we had no power 
oyer him whatever, I was obliged to run back for one 
of the guns to shoot him. On my return it was laugh- 
able to see the pace at which he was running away 
with the two men, who were holding on to his tail like 
grim death, the elephant not having ceased roaring 
during the run. I accordingly settled him, and re- 
turned to have a little conversation with the rascals 



'Punishing a Cingalese. 2ii 

who were still perched in the trees. I was extremely 
annoyed, as these people, if they had possessed a grain 
of sense, might have tied their long comboys (cotton 
cloths about eight feet long) together, and we might 
have thus secured the elephant without difficulty by 
tying his hind legs. It was a great loss, as he was so 
large that he might have been domesticated and driven 
to Newera Ellia without the slightest trouble. All this 
was occasioned by the cowardice of these villainous 
Cingalese, and upon my lecturing one fellow on his 
conduct he began to laugh. This was too much for 
any person's patience, and I began to look for a stick, 
which the fellow perceiving he immediately started off 
through the forest like a deer. He could run faster 
than I could, being naked and having the advantage of 
bare feet ; but I knew I could run him down in the 
course of time, especially as, being in a fright, he 
would soon get blown. We had a most animated hunt 
through water, mud, roots of trees, open forest and all 
kinds of ground, but I ran into him at last in heavy 
ground, and I dare say he recollects the day of the 
month. 

In the mean time, Palliser had heard the roaring of 
the elephant, followed by the screaming and yelling of 
the coolies, and succeeded by a shot. Shortly after he 
heard the prolonged yells of the hunted villager w^hile 
he was hastening toward my direction. This combina- 
tion of sounds naturally led him to expect that some 
accident had occurred, especially as some of the yells 
indicated that somebody had come to grief. This 
caused him a very laborious run, and he arrived 
thoroughly blown, and with a natural desire to kick the 
recreant villager who had caused the yells. 



313 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in 'Ceylon, 

If the ground had been even tolerably dry, we should 
have killed a large number of elephants out of this 
herd ; but, as it happened, in such deep mud and water 
the elephants had it all their own way, and our joint 
bag could not produce more, than seven tails ; however, 
this was far more than I had expected when I first saw 
the herd in such a secure position. 

On our return to the village we found Palliser's horse 
terribly gored by a buffalo, and we were obliged to 
leave him behind for some weeks ; fortunately, there 
was an extra pony, which served him as a mount 
home, a distance of a hundred and fifty miles. 

» « i|e « « 

This has been a sad digression from our argument 
upon instinct and reason, a most unreasonable depart- 
ure from the subject ; but this is my great misfortune ; 
so sure as I bring forward the name of an elephant, 
the pen lays hold of some old story and runs madly 
away in a day's shooting. I now have to speak of the 
reasoning powers of the canine race, and I confess my 
weakness. I feel perfectly certain that the pen will 
serve me the same trick, and that it will be plunging 
through a day's hunting to prove the existence of reason 
in a hound and the want of it in the writer. Thrash 
me, good critics ; I deserve it ; lay it on with an un- 
sparing thong. I am humiliated, but still willful ; 1 
know my fault, but still continue it. 

Let us think; what was the subject.? Reason in 
dogs, to be sure. Well, every one who has a dog must 
admit that he has a strong share of reason ; only ob- 
serve him as he sits by your side and wistfully watches 
the endless transit of piece after piece, bit after bit, as 
the fork is conveying delicate morsels to your mouth. 



Sagacity of Dogs. 213 

There is neither hope nor despair exhibited in his 
countenance — he knows those pieces are not for him. 
There is an expression of impatience about the eye as 
he scans your features, which seems to say, " Greedy 
fellow ! what, not one bit for me ?" Only cut a slice 
from the exterior of the joint — a piece that he knows 
you will not eat — and watch the change and eager- 
ness of his expression ; he knows as well as you do 
that this is intended for him — he has reasoned upon 
it. 

This is the simple and e very-day performance of a 
common house-dog. Observe the pointers in a field of 
close-cut stubble — two well-broken, reasonable old 
dogs. The birds are wild, and have been flushed 
several times during the day, and the old dog has 
winded them now in this close-cut stubble, from which 
he knows the covey will rise at a long range. Watch 
his expression of intense and yet careful excitement, 
as he draws upon his game, step by step, crouching 
close to the ground, and occasionally moving his head 
slowly round to see if his master is close up. Look at 
the bitch at the other end of the field, backing him like 
a statue, while the old dog still creeps on. Not a step 
farther will he move ; his lower jaw trembles with ex- 
citement ; the guns advance to a line with his shoulder ; 
up they rise, whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z ! — bang ! bang ! See how 
the excitement of the dog is calmed as he falls to the 
down charge, and afterward with what pleasure he 
follows up and stands to the dead birds. If this is not 
reason, there is no such thing in existence. 

Again, look at the sheep-dog. What can be more 
beautiful than to watch the judgment displayed by these 
dogs in driving a large flock of sheep.? Then turn to 



314 Eight 7'ears^ Wanderings in Ceylon, 

the Mont St. Bernard dog and the Newfoundland,- and 
countless instances could be produced as proofs of their 
wonderful share of reasoning power. 

The different classes of hounds, being kept in kennels, 
do not exhibit this power to the same amount as many 
others, as they are not sufficiently domesticated, and 
their intercourse with man is confined to the one par- 
ticular branch of hunting ; but in this pursuit they will 
afford many striking proofs that they, in like manner 
with their other brethren, are not devoid of the reason- 
ing power. 

Poor old " Bluebeard !" — he had an almost human 
share of understanding, but being simply a hound, 
this was confined to elk-hunting; he was like the fox- 
hunter of the last century, whose ideas did not extend 
beyond his sport ; but in this he was perfect. 

Bluebeard was a foxhound, bred at Newera Ellia, in 
1847, ^y ^* J- Templer, Esq. He subsequently be- 
longed to F. H. Palliser, Esq., who kindly added him 
to my kennel. 

He vv^as a wonderful hound on a cold scent, and so 
thoroughly was he versed in all the habits of an elk 
that he knew exactly where to look for one. I am con- 
vinced that he knew the date of a track from its appear- 
ance, as I have constantly seen him shove his nose 
into the deep impression, to try for a scent when the 
track was some eight or ten hours* old. 

It was a curious thing to watch his cleverness at 
finding on a patina. In most of the plains in the 
neighborhood of Newera Ellia a small stream flows 
through the centre. To this the elk, who are out feed- 
ing in the night, are sure to repair at about four in the 
morning for their last drink, and I usually try along the 



Bhieheard. 1\^ 

banks a little after daylight for a find, where the scent 
is fresh and the tracks are distinctly visible. 

While every hound has been eagerly winding the 
scent upon the circuitous route which the elk has made 
in grazing, Bluebeard would never waste his time in 
attempting to follow the innumerable windings, but, 
taking a fresh cast, he would invariably strike off to 
the jungle and try along the edge, until he reached the 
spot at which the elk had entered. At these times he 
committed the only fault which he possessed (for an 
elk-hound) ; he would immediately open upon the 
scent, and, by alarming the elk at too great a distance, 
would give him too long a start. Nevertheless, he 
made up for this by his wonderful correctness and 
knowledge of his game, and if the run was increased 
in length by his early note, we nevertheless ran into 
our game at last. 

Some years ago he met with an accident which 
partly deprived him of the use of one of his hind legs ; 
this made the poor old fellow very slow, but it did not 
interfere with his finding and hunting, although the 
rest of the pack would shoot ahead, and the elk was 
frequently brought to bay and killed before old Blue- 
beard had finished his hunt ; but he was never thrown 
out, and was sure to come up at last ; and if the pack 
were at fault during the run, he was the hound to show 
them the right road on his arrival. 

I once saw an interesting proof of his reasoning 
powers during a long and difficult hunt. 

I was hunting for a few days at the Augora patinas,, 
accompanied by Palliser. These are about five hundred 
feet lower than Newera EUia, and are situated in the 
district of Dimboola. They are composed of undulating 



21 6 Eight Teai's" Wanderings in Ceylon, 

knolls of fine grass, with a large and deep river flowing 
through the centre. These patinas are surrounded by 
wooded hills of good open jungle. 

Wp had found upon the patina at break of day, and 
the whole pack had gone off in full cry ; bqt the where- 
about was very uncertain, and having long lost all 
sound of the hounds we wandered here and there to no 
purpose. At length we separated, and took up our 
stations upon different knolls to watch the patina and 
to listen. 

The hill upon which I stood commanded an exten- 
sive view of the patina, while the broad river flowed at 
the base, after its exit from the jungle. I had been only 
a few minutes at my post when I observed, at about 
six hundred yards distant, a strong rippje in the river 
like the letter V, and it immediately struck me that an 
elk had come down the river from the jungle and was 
swimming down the stream. This w^s soon proved to 
be the case, as I saw the head of a doe elk in the acute 
angle of the ripple. 

I had the greyhounds with me, " Lucifer," " Lena," 
*' Hecate" and " Bran," and I ran down the hill with 
"these dogs, hoping to get them a view of her as she 
landed on the patina. I had several bogs and hollows 
to cross, and I accordingly lost sight, of the elk ; but 
upon arriving at the spot where! imagined the elk 
would land, I saw her going off* across the patina, a 
quarter of a mile aw^y. The greyhounds saw her, and 
away they flew over the short grass, while th»i pack 
began to appear from the jungle, having come down to 
the halloo that I had given on first seeing the elk swim- 
ming down the river. 

The elk seemed determined to give a beautiful course, 



A Ti'ue Hound. 217 

for, instead of pushing straight for the jungle, she made 
a great circuit on the patina, as though in the endeavor 
to make once more for the river. The long-legged ones 
were going at a tremendous pace, and, being fresh ^ they 
rapidly overhauled her ; gradually the distance between 
them diminished, and at length they had a fair .course 
down a gentle inclination which led toward the river. 
Here the greyhounds soon made an end of the hunt ; 
their game was within a hundred yards, going at top 
speed : but it was all up with the elk ; the pace was 
too good, and they ran into her and pulled her down 
just as the other hounds had come down upon my 
scent. 

We were cutting up the elk, when we presently 
heard old Bluebeard's voice far away in the jungle, and, 
thinking that he might perhaps be running another elk, 
we ran to a hill which overlooked the river and kept 
a bright look-out. We soon discovered that he was 
true upon the same game, and we watched his plan of 
hunting, being anxious to see whether he could hunt 
up an elk that had kept to water for so long a time. 

On his entrance to the patina by the river's bank he 
immediately took to water and swam across the stream ; 
here he carefully hunted the edge for several hundred 
yards down the river, but, finding nothing, he returned 
to the jungle at the point from which the river flowed. 
Here he again took to water, and, swimming back to 
the bank from which he had*at first started, he landed 
and made a vain cast down the hollow. Back he re- 
turned after his fruitless search, and once more he took 
to water. I began to despair of the possibility of his 
finding ; but the true old hound was now swimming 
steadily down the stream, crossing and recrossing from 
19 



3i8 Eight Tears' Wandering's in Ceylon, 

either bank, and still pursuing his course down the 
river. At length he neared the spot where I knew that 
the elk had landed, and we eagerly watched to see if he 
would pass the scent, as he was now several yards from 
the bank. He was nearly abreast of the spot, when he 
turned sharp in and landed in the exact place ; his deep 
and joyous note rung across the patinas, and away went 
the gallant old hound in full cry upon the scent, while 
I could not help shouting, " Hurrah for old Blue- 
beard !" In a few minutes he was by the side of the 
dead elk — a specimen of a true hound, who certainly 
had exhibited a large share of "reason." 




CHAPTER X. 

WILD FRUITS — INGREDIENTS FOR A " SOUPE MAIGRE " — OR- 
CHIDACEOUS PLANTS WILD NUTMEGS — NATIVE OILS — • 

CINNAMON — PRIMEVAL FOREST — VALUABLE WOODS — 
THE MAHAWELLI RIVER — VARIETY OF PALMS— COCOA- 
NUT TODDY — ARRACK — COCOA-NUT OIL — COCOA-NUT 
PLANTING — THE TALIPOT PALM — THE ARECA PALM — 
BETEL-CHEWING — SAGO NUTS — VARIETY OF BEES — 
WASTE OF BEESWAX — EDIBLE FUNGI — NARCOTIC PUFF- 
BALL — INTOXICATING DRUGS — POISONED CAKES — THE 
"sack tree" — NO GUM TREES OF VALUE IN CEYLON. 

AMONG the inexperienced there is a prevalent idea 
connected with tropical forests and jungles that 
they teem with wild fruits, which Nature is supposed 
to produce spontaneously. Nothing can be more 
erroneous than such an opinion ; even edible berries are 
scantily supplied by the wild shrubs and trees, and 
these, in lieu of others of superior quality, are some- 
times dignified by the name of fruit. 

The guava and the katumbille are certainly ver}* 
numerous throughout the Ouva district ; the latter being 
a dark Yed, rough-skinned kind of plum, the size of a 
greengage, but free from stone. It grows upoa a 
thorny bush about fifteen fpet high ; but the fruit is too 
acid to please most palates ; the extreme thirst produced 
by a day's shooting in a burning sun makes .it refresh- 

219 



220 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon. 

ing when plucked from the tree ; but it does not aspire 
to the honor of a place at a table, where it can only ap- 
pear in the form of red currant jelly, for which it is an 
undeniable substitute. 

Excellent blackberries and a very large and full- 
flavored black raspberry grow at Newera Ellia ; likewise 
the Cape gooseberry, which is of the genus "solanum." 
The latter is a round yellow berry, the size of a cherry ; 
this is enclosed in a loose bladder, which forms an 
outer covering. The flavor is highly aromatic, but, 
like most Ceylon wild fruits, it is too acid. 

The sweetest and the best of the jungle productions 
is the " morra." This is a berry about the size of a 
small nutmeg, which grows in clusters upon a- large 
tree of rich dark foliage. The exterior of the berry is 
brown and slightly rough ; the skin, or rather the case, 
is brittle and of the consistence of an egg-shell ; this, 
when broken and peeled off, exposes a semi-transparent 
pulp, like a skinned grape in appearance and in flavor. 
It is extremely juicy ; but, unfortunately, a large black 
fetone occupies the centre and at least one-half, of the 
bulk of the entire fruit. 

The jambo apple is a beautiful fruit in appearance, 
being the fac-simile of a snow-white pear formed of 
wax, with a pink blush upon one side. Its exterior 
beauty is all that it can boast of, as the fruit itself is 
vapid and tasteless. In fact, all wild fruits are, for the 
most part, great exaggerations. I have seen in a work 
on Ceylon the miserable little acid berry of the rattan, 
which is no larger than a currant, described as a fruit ; 
hawthorn berries might, with equal justice, be classed 
among the fruits of Great Britain. 

I will not attempt to describe these paltry produc- 



Ingredients for a ^'"Soufe Mazgre?^ 221 

tions in detail ; there is necessarily a great variety 
throughout the island, but their insignificance does not 
entitle them to a description which would raise them 
far above their real merit. 

It is nevertheless most useful to a sportsman in Cey 
Ion to possess a sufficient stock of botanical information 
for his personal convenience. A man may be lost in 
the jungles or hard up for provisions in some out-of- 
the-way place, where, if he has only a saucepan, he can 
generally procure something eatable in the way of 
herbs. It is not to be supposed, however, that he 
would succeed in making a good dinner ; the reader 
may at any time procure something similar in England 
by restricting himself to nettle-tops — an economical but 
not a fattening vegetable. Anything, however simple, 
is better than an empty stomach, and when the latter is 
positively empty it is wonderful how the appetite wel- 
comes the most miserable fare. 

At Newera Ellia the jungles would always produce 
a supply for a soupe maigre. There is an esculent 
nillho which grows in the forest in the bottoms of the 
swampy ravines. This is a most succulent plant, which 
grows to the height or length of about seven feet, as its 
great weight keeps it close to the ground. It is so brit- 
tle that it snaps like a cucumber when struck by a 
stick, and it bears a delicate, dark-blue blossom. When 
stewed, it is as tender as the vegetable marrow, but its 
flavor approaches more closely to that of the cucumber. 
Wild ginger also abounds in the forests. This is a 
coarse variety of the " amomum zingiber." The leaves, 
which spring from the ground, attain a height of seven 
or eight feet ; a large, crimson, fleshy blossom also 
springs from the ground in the centre of the surround- 
19* 



'222 Eight Tears^ Wandering's in Ceylon, 

ing leaf-stems. The root is coarse, large, but wanting 
in fine flavor, although the young tubers are exceedingly- 
tender and delicate. This is the favorite food of ele- 
phants on the Ceylon mountains ; but it is a curious 
fact that they invariably reject the leaves, which any one 
would suppose would be their choicest morsel, as they 
are both succulent and plentiful. The elephants simply 
use them as a handle for tearing up the roots, which 
they bite off and devour, throwing the leaves on one 
side. 

The wild parsnip is also indigenous to the plains on 
the mountains. As usual with most wild plants of this 
class, it has little or no root, but runs to leaf. The 
seeds are very highly flavored, and are gathered by the- 
natives for their curries. 

There is, likewise, a beautiful orchidaceous plant,' 
which is very common throughout the patina's on the 
mountains, and which produces the very finest quality 
of arrowroot. So much is this valued in the Nepaul 
country in India, that I have been assured by a person 
well acquainted with that locality, that this quality of 
arrowroot is usually sold for its weight in rupees. In 
vain have I explained this to the Cingalese ; they will 
not attempt its preparation because their fathers did not 
eat it ; and yet these same men will walk forty miles to 
cut a bundle of sticks of the galla gaha tree for driving 
buffaloes ! — their fathers did this, and therefore they do 
it. Thus this beautiful plant is only appreciated by 
those whose instinct leads them to its discovery. The; 
wild hogs plough up the patinas and revel in this deli- 
cate food. The plant itself is almost lost in the rank 
herbage of the patinas, but its beautiful pink, hyacinth- 
shaped blossom attracts immediate attention. FeW 



Orchidaceous Plants. 223 

plants combine beauty of appearance, scent and utility, 
but this is the perfection of each quality — nothing can 
surpass the delicacy and richness of its perfume. It 
has two small bulbs about an inch below the surface of 
the earth, and these, when broken, exhibit a highly 
granulated texture, semi-transparent like half-boiled 
sago. From these bulbs the arrowroot is produced by 
pounding them in water and drying the precipitated 
farina in the sun. 

There are several beautiful varieties of orchidaceous 
plants upon the mountains ; among others, several spe- 
cies of the dendrobium. Its rich yellow flowers hang 
in clusters from a withered tree, the only sign of life 
upon a giant trunk decayed, like a wreath upon a 
grave. The scent of this flower is well known as most 
delicious ; one plant will perfume a large room. 

There is one variety of this tribe in the neighborhood 
of Newera Ellia, which is certainly unknown in Eng- 
lish collections. It blossoms in April ; the flowers are 
a bright lilac, and I could lay my hand upon it at any 
time, as I have never seen it but in one spot, where it 
flourishes in profusion. This is about fourteen miles 
from Newera EUia, and I have never yet collected a 
specimen, as I have invariably been out hunting when- 
ever I have met with it. . 

The black pepper is also indigenous throughout 
Ceylon. At Newera Ellia the leaves of this vine are 
highly pungent, although at this elevation it does not 
produce fruit. A very short distance toward a lowei 
elevation effects a marked change, as within seven 
miles it fruits in great perfection. 

At a similar altitude, the wild nutmeg is very com- 
mon throughout the. forests. This fruit is a perfect 



224 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

anomaly. The tree is entirely diflerent to that of the 
cultivated species. The latter is small, seldom exceed- 
ing the size of an apple-tree, and bearing a light green 
myrtle-shaped leaf, which is not larger than that of a 
peach. The wild species, on the contrary, is a large 
forest tree, with leaves equal in size to those of the 
horse chestnut ; nevertheless, it produces a perfect nut- 
meg. There is the outer rind of fleshy texture, like an 
unripe peach ; enclosed within is the nutlike shell, 
enveloped in the crimson network of mace, and within 
the shell is the nutmeg itself. All this is perfect 
enough, but, alas, the grand desideratum is wanting — 
it has no flavor or aroma whatever. 

It is a gross imposition on the part of Nature ; a 
most stingy trick upon the public, and a regular do. 
The mace has no taste whatever, and the nutmeg has 
simply a highly acrid and pungent taste, without any 
spicy flavor, but merely abounding in a rank and dis- 
agreeable oil. The latter is so plentiful that I am as- 
tonished it has not been experimented upon, especially 
by the natives, who are great adepts in expressing oils 
from many substances. 

Those most common in Ceylon are the cocoa-nut 
and gingerly oils. The former is one of the grand 
staple commodities of the isla-nd ; the latter is the pro- 
duce of a small grain, grown exclusively by the na- 
tives. 

But, in addition to these, there are various other oils 
manufactured by the Cingalese. These are the cinna- 
mon oil, castor oil, margosse oil, mee oil, kenar oil, 
meeheeria oil ; and both clove and lemon-grass oil are 
prepared by Europeans. 

The first, which is the cinnamon oil, is more pro- 



Native Oils, 225 

perly a kind of vegetable wax, being of the consistence 
of stearine. This is prepared from the berries of the 
cinnamon shrub, which are boiled in water until the 
fatty substance, or so-called oil, floats upon the surface ; 
this is then skimmed off, and. when a sufficient quan- 
tity is collected, it is boiled down until all watery parti- 
cles are evaporated, and the melted fat is turned out 
into a shallow vessel to cool. It has a pleasant, though, 
perhaps, a rather faint aromatic smell, and is very 
delicious as an adjunct in the culinary art. In addition 
to this it possesses gentle aperient properties, which 
render it particularly wholesome. 

Castor oil is also obtained by the natives by boiling, 
and it is accordingly excessively rank after long keep- 
ing. The castor-oil plant is a perfect weed throughout 
Ceylon, being one of the few useful shrubs that will 
flourish in such poor soil without cultivation. 

Margosse oil is extracted from the fruit of a tree of 
that name. It has an extremely fetid and disagreeable 
smell, which will effectually prevent the contact of flies 
or any other insect. On this account it is a valuable 
preventive to the attacks of flies upon open wounds, in 
addition to which it possesses powerful healing pro- 
perties. 

Mee oil is obtained from the fruit of the mee tree. 
This fruit is about the size of an apricot, and is ex- 
tremely rich in its produce ; but the oil is of a coarse 
description, and is simply used by the natives for their 
tude lamps. Kenar oil and meeheeria oil are equal- 
ly coarse, and are quite unfit for any but native pur^- 
poses. 

Lemon-grass oil, which is known in commerce as 
citronella oil, is a delightful extract from the rank 

P 



226 Eight Tears' Wanderhig's in Ceylon, 

lemon grass, which covers most of the hillsides in the 
more open districts of Ceylon. An infusion of the 
grass is subsequently distilled ; the oil is then discovered 
on the surface. This is remarkably pure, with a most 
pungent aroma. If rubbed upon the skin, it will pre- 
vent the attacks of insects while its perfume remains ; 
but the oil is so volatile that the scent quickly evapo- 
rates and the spell is broken. 

Clove oil is extracted from the leaves of the cinna- 
mon tree, and not from cloves, as its name would imply. 
The process is very similar to that employed in the 
manufacture of citronella oil. 

Cinnamon is indigenous throughout the jungles of 
Ceylon. Even at the high elevation of Newera Ellia, 
it is one of the most common woods, and It grows to 
the dimensions of a forest tree, the trunk being usually 
about three feet in circumference. At Newera Ellia it 
loses much of its fine flavor, although it is still highly 
aromatic. 

This tree flourishes in a white quartz sandy soil, and 
in its cultivated state is never allowed to exceed the 
dimensions of a bush, being pruned down close to the 
ground every year. This sj^stem of close cutting in- 
duces the growth of a large number of shoots, in the 
same manner that withes are produced in England. 

Every twelve months these shoots attain the length 
of six or seven feet, and the thickness of a man's finger. 
In the interim, the only cultivation required is repeated 
cleaning. The whole plantation Is cut down at ' the 
proper period, and the sticks are then stripped of their 
bark by the peelers. These men are called '* chalias," 
and their labor is confined to this particular branch. 
The season being over, they pass the remaining portion 



The Cinnamon Tree, 227 

of the year in idleness, their earnings during one crop 
being sufficient to supply their trifling wants until the 
ensuing harvest. 

Their practice in this employment naturally renders 
them particularly expert, and in far less time than is 
occupied in the description they run a sharp knife 
longitudinally along a stick, and at once divest it of the 
bark. On the following day the strips of bark are 
scraped so as entirely to remove the outer cuticle. One 
strip is then laid within the other, which, upon becom- 
ing dry, contract, and form a series of enclosed pipes. 
It is subsequently packed in bales, and carefully sewed 
up in double sacks for exportation. 

The essential oil of cinnamon is usually made from 
the refuse of the crop ; but the quantity produced, in 
proportion to the weight of cinnamon, is exceedingly 
small, being about five ounces of oil to half a hundred- 
weight of the spice. 

Although the cinnamon appears to require no more 
than a common quartz sand for its production, it is 
always cultivated with the greatest success where the 
subsoil is light, dry and of a loamy quality. 

The appearance of the surface soil is frequently very 
deceitful. It is not uncommon to see a forest of mag- 
nificent trees growing in soil of apparently pure sand, 
which will not even produce the underwood with which 
Ceylon forests are generally choked. In such an in- 
stance the appearance of the trees is unusually grand, 
as their whole length and dimensions are exposed to 
view, and their uniting crowns throw a sombre shade 
over the barren ground beneath. It is not to be sup- 
posed that these mighty specimens of vegetation are 
supported by the poor sandy soil upon the surface ; their 



228 Eight years^ WatideiHngs in Ceylon. 

tap-roots strike down into some richer stratum, from 
which their nourishment is derived. 

These forests are not common in Ceylon ; their rarity 
accordingly enhances their beaut}^ The largest Eng- 
lish oak would be amere pigmy among the giants of 
these wilds, whose stature is so wonderful that the eye 
never becomes tired of admiration. Often have I halted 
on my journey to ride around and admire the prodigious 
height and girth of these trees. Their beautiful pro- 
portions render thern the more striking ; there are no 
gnarled .and knotty stems, such as we are accustomed 
to admire in the ancient oaks and beeches of England, 
but every trunk rises like a- mast from the earth, per- 
fectly free from branches for ninety or a hundred feet, 
straight as an arrow, each tree forming a dark pillar to 
support its share of the rich canopy above, which con- 
stitutes a roof perfectly impervious- to the sun. It is 
difficult to guess the actual height of these forest trees ; 
but I have frequently noticed that it is impossible to 
shoot a bird on the higher branches with No. 5 shot. 

It is much to be regretted that the want. of the means 
of transport renders the timber of these forests perfectly 
valueless. From age to age these magnificent trees re- 
main in their undisturbed solitudes, gradually increasing 
in their apparently endless growth, and towering above 
the dark vistas of everlasting silence. No on can im- 
agine the utter stillness which pervades these gloomy 
shades. There is a mysterious effect produced by the 
total absence of animal life. In the depths of these 
forests I have stood and listened for some sound until 
my ears tingled'with overstrained attention ; not a chirp 
of a bird, not the hum of an insect, but the mouth of 
Nature is sealed. Not a breath of ^ir has rustled a leaf, 



Primeval Porests. 229 

not even a falling fruit has broken the spell of silence ; 
the undying verdure, the freshness of each tree, even in 
its mysterious age, create an idea of eternal vegetation, 
and the silvery yet dim light ^Sdds to the charm of 
the fairylike solitude which gradually steals over the 
senses. 

I have ridden for fifteen or twenty miles through one 
of these forests without hearing a sound, except that of 
my horse's hoof occasionally striking against a root. 
Neither beast nor bird is to be seen except upon the 
verge. The former has no food upon such barren 
ground ; and the latter can find no berries, as the earth 
is sunless and free from vegetation. Not even monkeys 
are to be seen, although the trees must produce fruit 
and seed. Everything appears to have deserted the 
country, and to have yielded it as the sole territory of 
Nature on a stupendous scale. The creepers lie ser- 
pent-like along the ground to the thickness of a man's 
waist, and, rearing their twisted forms on high, they 
climb the loftiest trees, hanging in festoons from stem 
to stem like the cables of a line-of-battle-shlp, and ex- 
tending from tree to tree for many hundred yards ; now 
falling to the earth and striking a fresh root ; then, with 
Increased energy, remounting the largest trunks, and 
forming a labyrinth of twisted ropes along the ceiling 
of the forest. From these creepers hang the sabre- 
beans. Everything seems on a supernatural scale-^the 
bean-pod four feet or more in length, by three inches 
in breadth ; the beans two inches in diameter. 

Here may be seen the mo^^valuable woods of Cey- 
lon. The ebony grows in great perfection and large 
quantity. This tree is at once distinguished from the 
surrounding stems by its smaller diameter and its sooty 
20 



230 Eight lears^ Wandering's in Ceylon, 

trunk. The bark is crisp, jet black, and has the ap- 
pearance of being charred. Beneath the bark the wood 
is perfectly white until the heart is reached, which is 
the fine black ebony of commerce. Here also, equally 
immovable, the calamander is growing, neglected and 
unknown. This is the most esteemed of all Ceylon 
woods, and it is so rare that it realizes a fancy price. 
It is something similar to the finest walnut, the color 
being a rich hazel brown, mottled and striped with 
irregular black marks. It is superior to walnut in the 
extreme closeness of the grain and the richness of its 
color. 

There are upward of eighty different woods pro- 
duced in Ceylon, which are made use of for various 
purposes ; but of these many are very inferior. Those 
most appreciated are — 

Calamander, "i 1 • n :\ c c 'i. j u* 

' I chiefly used for furniture and cabi' 

^' ( net work. 

Satin-wood, ^ 

Suria (the tulip tree). 

Tamarind. 

Jackwood. 

Halmileel. 

Cocoa-nut. 

Palmyra. 

The suria is an elegant tree, bearing a beautiful yel- 
low blossom something similar to a tulip, from which 
it derives its name. The wood is of an extremely close 
texture and of a reddish-brown color. It is exceed- 
ingly tough, and it is chiefly used for making the 
spokes of wheels. 

The tamarind is a fine,, dark red wood, mottled with 



IVild Fruits. 231 

black marks ; but it is not in general use, as the tree is 
too valuable to be felled for the sake of its timber. 
This is one of the handsomest trees of the tropics, 
growing to a very large size, the branches widely 
spreading, something like the cedars of Lebanon. 

Jackwood is -a coarse imitation of mahogany, and 
is used for a variety of purposes, especially for making 
cheap furniture. The latter is not only economical, 
but exceedingly durable, and is manufactured at so 
low a rate that a moderate-sized house might be en- 
tirely furnished wfth it for a hundred and fifty pounds. 

The fruit of the jack grows from the trunk and 
branches of the tree, and when ripe it weighs about 
twenty pounds. The rind is rough, and when cut it 
exposes a yellow, pulpy mass. This is formed of an 
infinite number of separate divisions of fleshy matter, 
which severally enclose an oval nut. The latter are 
very good when roasted, having a close resemblance to 
a chestnut. The pulp, which is the real fruit, is not 
usually eaten by Europeans on account of its peculiar 
odor. This perfume is rather difficult to describe, but 
when a rainy day in London crams an omnibus with 
well-soaked and steaming multitudes, the atmosphere 
in the vehicle somewhat approaches to the smell of the 
jack-fruit. 

The halmileel is one of the most durable and useful 
woods in Ceylon, and is almost the only kind that is 
thoroughly adapted for making staves for casks. Of 
late years the great increase of the oil-trade has brought 
this wood into general request, consequent upon the 
increased demand for casks. So extensive and general 
is the present demand for this wood that the natives 
are continually occupied in conveying it from certain 



232 Eight Tears* Wandering's in Ceylon. 

districts which a few years ago were utterly neglected. 
Unfortunately, the want of roads and the means of 
transport confine their operations to the banks of 
rivers, down which the logs are floated at the proper 
season. 

I recollect some eight )^ears ago crossing the Maha- 
welli river upon a raft which my coolies had hastily 
constructed, and reaching a miserable village near Mo- 
nampitya, in the extreme north of the Veddah country. 
The river is here about four hundred paces wide, and 
in the rainy season a fine volume 'of water rolls along 
in a rapid stream toward Trincomalee, at which place 
it meets the sea. I was struck at the time with the 
magnificent timber in the forests on its banks, and no 
less surprised that with the natural facilities of trans- 
port it should be neglected. Two years ago I crossed 
at this same spot, and I remarked the wonderful change 
which a steady demand had effected in this wild coun- 
try. Extensive piles of halmileel logs were collected 
along the banks of the river, while the forests were 
strewed with felled trees in preparation for floating 
down the stream. A regular demand usually ensures a 
regular supply, which could not be better exemplified 
than in this case. 

\mong fancy woods the bread-fruit tree should not 
be ountted. This is something similar to the jack, but, 
like the tamarind, the value of the produce saves the 
tree from destruction. 

This tree does not attain a very large size, but its 
growth is exceedingly regular and the foliage peculiarly 
rich and plentiful. The fruit is something similar in 
appearance to a small, unripe jack-fruit, with an equally 
rough exterior. In the opinion of most who have 



Variety of Palms. 233 

tasted it, its virtues have been grossly exaggerated. To 
my taste it is perfectly uneatable, unless fried in thin slices 
with butter ; it is even then a bad imitation of fried po- 
tatoes. The bark of this tree produces a strong fibre, 
and a kind of very adhesive pitch is also produced by 
decoction. 

The cocoa-nut and palmyra woods at once introduce 
us to the palms of Ceylon, the most useful and the most 
elegant class in vegetation. For upward of a hundred 
and twenty miles along the western and southern coasts 
of Ceylon, one continuous line of cocoa-nut groves 
wave their green leaves to the sea-breeze, without a 
single break, except where some broad clear river 
cleaves the line of verdure as it meets the sea. 

Ceylon is rich in palms, including the following 
varieties : 

The Cocoa-nut. 

The Palmyra. 

The Kittool. 

The Areca 

The Date. 

The Sago. 

The Talipot. 

The wonderful productions of this tribe can only be 
appreciated by those who thoroughly understand the 
habits and necessities of the natives ; and, upon exami- 
nation, it will be seen that Nature has opened wide her 
bountiful hand, and in the midst of a barren soil she 
has still remembered and supplied the wants of the 
inhabitants. 

As the stream issued from the rock in the wilderness, 
so the cocoa-nut tree yields a pure draught from a dry 
20* 



234 Eight years' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

and barren land ; a cup of water to the temperate anci 
thirsty traveler ; a cup of cream from the pressed 
kernel ; a cup of refreshing and sparkling toddy to the 
early riser ; a cup of arrack to the hardened spirit- 
drinker, and a cup of oil, by the light of which I now 
extol its merits — five separate and distinct liquids from 
the same tree ! 

A green or unripe cocoa-nut contains about a pint of 
a sweetish water. In the hottest weather this is deli- 
ciously cool, in comparison to the heat of the atmos- 
phere. 

The ripe nut, when scraped into a pulp by a little 
serrated, semi-circular iron instrument, is squeezed in a 
cloth by the hand, and about a quarter of a pint of de- 
licious thick cream, highly flavored by cocoa-nut, is 
then expressed. This forms the chief ingredient in a 
Cingalese curry, from which it entirely derives its rich- 
ness and fine flavor. 

The toddy is the sap which would nourish and fruc- 
tify the blossom and young nuts, were it allowed to 
accomplish its duties. The toddy-drawer binds into one 
rod the numerous shoots, which are garnished with 
embrj'o nuts, and he then cuts off* the ends, leaving an 
abrupt and brush-like termination. Beneath this he 
secures an earthen chatty, which will hold about a gal- 
lon. This remains undisturbed for twenty-four hours, 
from sunrise to sunrise on the following morning ; the 
toddy-drawer then reascends the tree, and lowers the 
chatty by a line to an assistant below, who empties the 
contents into a larger vessel, and the chatty is replaced 
under the productive branch, which continues to yield 
for about a month. 

When first drawn the toddy has the appearance of 



Cocoa-nut Toddy. 235 

thin milk and water, with a combined flavor of milk 
and soda-water, with a tinge of cocoa-nut. It is then 
very pleasant and refreshing, but in a few hours after 
sunrise a great change takes place, and the rapidity of 
the transition from the vinous to the acetous fermenta- 
tion is so great that by midday it resembles a poor and 
rather acid cider. It now possesses intoxicating prop- 
erties, and the natives accordingly indulge in it to some 
extent ; but from its flavor and decided acidity I should 
have thought the stomach would be affected some time 
before the head. 

From this fermented toddy the arrack is procured by 
simple distillation. 

This spirit, to my taste, is more palatable than most 
distilled liquors, having a very decided and peculiar 
flavor. It is a little fiery when new, but as water soon 
quenches fire, it is not spared by the native retailers, 
whose arrack would be of a most innocent character 
were it not for their infamous addition of stupefying 
drugs and hot peppers. 

The toddy contains a large proportion of saccharine, 
without which the vinous fermentation could not take 
place. This is procured by evaporation in boiling, on 
the same principle that sugar is produced from cane- 
juice. The syrup is then poured into small saucers to 
cool, and it shortly assumes the consistence of hardened 
sugar. This is known in Ceylon as "jaggery," and is 
manufactured exclusively by the natives. 

Cocoa-nut oil is now one of the greatest exports of 
Ceylon, and within the last few years the trade has 
increased to an unprecedented extent. In the two 
years of 1849 and 1850, the exports of cocoa-nut oil did 
not exceed four hundred and forty-three thousand six 



236 Eight 2ea?'s' Wanderings i?z Ceylon. 

hundred gallons, while in the year 1853 they had in- 
creased to one million thirtv-tnree thousand nine hun- 
dred gallons ; the trade being more than quadrupled in 
three years. 

The manufacture of the oil is most simple. The 
kernel is taken from the nut, and being divided, it is 
exposed to the sun until all the watery particles are 
evaporated. The kernel thus dried is known as "cop- 
perah." This is then pressed in a mill, and the oil 
flows into a reservoir. 

This oil, although clear and limpid in the tropics, 
hardens to the consistence of lard at any temperature 
below 72° Fahr. Thus it requires a second preparation 
on its arrival in England. There it is spread upon 
mats (formed of coir) to the thickness of an inch, and 
then covered by a similar protection. These fat sand- 
wiches are two feet square, and being piled one upon 
the other to a height of about six feet in an hydraulic 
press, are subjected to a pressure of some hundred tons. 
This disengages the pure oleaginous parts from the 
more insoluble portions, and the fat residue, being 
increased in hardness by its extra density, is mixed with 
stearine, and by a variety of preparations is converted 
into candles. The pure oil thus expressed is that known 
in the shops as cocoa-nut oil. 

The cultivation of the cocoa-nut tree is now carried 
to a great extent, both by natives and Europeans ; by 
the former it is grown for a variety of purposes, but by 
the latter its profits are confined to oil, coir and poonac. 
The latter is the refuse of the nut after the oil has been 
expressed, and corresponds in its uses to the linseed-oil 
cake of England, being chiefly employed for fattening 
cattle, pigs and poultry. 



[ 



Cocoa-nut Planting. ^^il 

The preparation of coir is a dirty and offensive occu- 
pation. Tiie husk of the cocoa-nut is thrown into 
tanks of water, until the woody or pithy matter is 
loosened by fermentation from the coir fibre. The 
stench of putrid vegetable matter arising from these 
heaj^s must be highly deleterious. Subsequently the 
husks are beaten and the fibre is separated and dried. 
Coir rope is useful on account of its durability and 
power of resisting decay during long immersion. In 
the year 1853, twenty-three hundred and eighty tons of 
coir were exported from Ceylon. 

The great drawback to the commencement of a 
cocoa-nut plantation is the total uncertainty of the 
probable alteration in the price of oil during the interval 
of eleven years which must elapse before tlie estate 
comes into bearing. In this era of invention, when 
improvements in every branch of science follow each 
other with such rapid strides, it is always a dangerous 
speculation to make any outlay that will remain so long 
invested without producing a return. Who can be so 
presumptuous as to predict the changes of future years? 
Oil may have ceased to be the common medium of 
light — our rooms may be illumined by electricity, or 
from fifty other sources which now are never dreamed 
of. In the mean time, the annual outlay during eleven 
years is an additional incubus upon the prime cost of 
the plantation, which, at the expiration of this term, 
may be reduced to one-tenth of its present value. 

The cocoa-nut tree requires a sandy and well-drained 
soil ; and although it flourishes where no other tree will 
grow, it welcomes a soil of a richer quality and pro- 
duces fruit in proportion. Eighty nuts per annum are 
ebout the average income from a healt:hy tree in full 



238 Eight 2'ears' Wander i/igs in Ceylon, 

bearing, but this, of course, depends much upon the 
locality. This palm delights in the sea-breeze, and 
never attains the same perfection inland that it does in 
the vicinity of the coast. There are several varieties, 
and that which is considered superior is the yellow 
species, called the " king cocoa-nut." I have seen this, 
on the Maldive Islands in great perfection. There it is 
the prevailing description. 

At the Seychelles, there is a variety peculiar to those 
islands, differing entirely in appearance from the com- 
mon cocoa-nut. It is fully twice the size, and is shaped 
like a kidney that is laid open. This is called by the 
French the '•^ coco de mer^^ from the large numbers 
that are found floating in the sea in the neighborhood 
of the islands. 

The wood of the cocoa-nut tree is strong and dura- 
ble ; it is a dark brown, traversed by longitudinal black 
lines. 

There are three varieties of toddy-producing palms 
in Ceylon ; these are the cocoa-nut, the kittool and the 
palmyra. The latter produces the finest quality of jag- 
gery. This cannot be easily distinguished from crum- 
bled sugar-candy, which it exactly resembles in flavor. 
The wood of the palmyra is something similar to the 
cocoa-nut, but it is of a superior quality, and is much 
used for rafters, being durable and of immense 
strength. 

The kittool is a very sombre and peculiar palm. Its 
crest very much resembles the drooping plume upon a 
hearse, and the foliage is a dark green with a tinge of 
gray. The wood of this palm is almost black, being 
apparently a mass of longitudinal strips, or coarse lines 
gf whalebone running close together from the top to 



_k 



The Talipot Palm. 239 

the loot of the tree. This is the toughest and most 
phabie of ail the pahn-woods, and is principally used 
by the pa^ives in making " pingos." These are flat 
bows aboi^t eight feet in length, and are used by the 
Cingalese fcr carrying loads upon • the shoulder. The 
weight is slung at either end of the pingo, and the 
elasticity of the wood accommodates itself to the spring 
of each step, thereby reducing the dead weight of the 
load. In this manner a stout Cingalese will carry and 
travel with eighty pounds if working on his own ac- 
count, or with fifty if hired for a journey. A Cinga- 
lese will carry a much heavier weight than an ordinary 
Malabar, as he is a totally different man in form and 
strength. In fact, the Cingalese are generally a com- 
pactly built and well-limbed race, while the Malabar is 
a man averaging full a stone lighter weight. 

The most extraordinary in the list of palms is the 
talipot. The crest of this beautiful tree is adorned by 
a crown of nearly circular, fan-shaped leaves of so 
tough and durable a texture that they are sewn together 
by the natives for erecting portable tents or huts. The 
circumference of each leaf at the extreme edge is from 
twenty to thirty feet, and even this latter size is said to 
be frequently exceeded. 

Every Cingalese throughout the Kandian district is 
provided with a section of one of these leaves, which 
forms a kind of fan about six feet in length. This is 
carried in the hand, and is only spread in case of rain, 
when it forms an impervious roofing of about three 
feet in width at the broad extremity. Four or five 
of these sections will form a circular roof for a small 
hut, which resembles a large umbrella or brobdignag 
mushroom. 



240 slight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

There is a great peculiarity in the talipot palm. It 
Dlossoms only once in a long period of years, and after 
this it dies. No flower can equal the elegance and ex- 
traordinary dimensions of this blossom ; its size is pro- 
portionate to its leaves, and it usurps the place of the 
faded crest of green, forming a magnificent crown or 
plurne of snow-white ostrich feathers, which stand 
upon the summit of the tall stem as though they were 
the natural head of the palm. 

There is an interesting phenomenon at the period of 
flowering. The great plume already described, prior 
to its appearing in bloom, is packed in a large case or 
bud, about four feet long. In this case the blossom 
comes to maturity, at which time the tightened cuticle 
of the bud can no longer sustain the pressure of the 
expanding flower. It suddenly bursts with a loud re- 
port, and the beautiful plume, freed from its imprison- 
ment, ascends at this signal and rapidly unfolds its 
feathers, towering above the drooping leaves which are 
hastening to decay. 

The areca is a palm of great elegance ; it rises to a 
height of about eighty feet, and a rich feathery crest 
adorns the summit. This is the most delicate stem of 
all the palm tribe ; that of a tree of eighty feet in 
length would not exceed five inches in diameter. 
Nevertheless, I have never seen an areca palm over- 
turned by a storm ; they bow gracefully to the wind, 
and the extreme elasticity of the wood secures them 
from destruction. 

This tree produces the commonly-called "betel-nut," 
but more properly the areca-nut. They grow in clus- 
ters beneath the crest of the palm, in a similar manner 
to the cocoa-nut ; but the tree is more prolific, as it 



Betel- Chewing. 24 1 

produces about two hundred nuts per annum. The 
latter are very similar to large nutmegs both in size and 
appearance, and, like the cocoa-nut, they are enclosed 
in an outer husk of a fibrous texture. 

The consumption of these nuts may be imagined 
when it is explained that every native is perpetually 
chewing a mixture of this nut and betel leaf. Every 
man carries a betel bag, which contains the following 
list of treasures : a quantity of areca-nuts, a parcel of 
betel leaves, a roll of tobacco, a few pieces of ginger, 
an instrument similar to pruning scissors and a brass 
or silver case (according to the wealth of the indi- 
vidual) full of chunam paste — viz., a fine lime pro- 
duced from burnt coral, slacked. This case very much 
lesembles an old-fashioned warming-pan breed of watch 
and chateleine, as numerous little spoons for scooping 
out the chunam are attached to it by chains. 

The betel is a species of pepper, the leaf of which 
very much resembles that of the black pepper, but is 
highly aromatic and pungent. It is cultivated to a very 
large extent by the natives, and may be seen climbing 
round poles and trees in every garden. 

It has been said by some authors that the betel has 
powerful narcotic properties, but, on the contrary, its 
stifnulating qualities have a directly opposite effect. 
Those who have attributed this supposed property to 
the betel leaf must have indulged in a regular native 
'' chew" as an experiment, and have nevertheless been 
ignorant of the mixture. 

We will make up a native "chew" after the most 
approved fashion, and the reader shall judge for him- 
self in which ingredient the narcotic principle is dis- 
played. 

21 Q 



242 Eight Tears^ Wa7tderings in Ceylon. 

Take a betel leaf, and upon this spread a piece of 
chunam as large as a pea ; then with the pruning- - 
scissors cut three very thin slices of areca-nut, and lay 
them in the leaf; next, add a small piece of ginger; 
and, lastly, a good-sized piece oitobacco. Fold up this 
mixture in another betel leaf in a compact little parcel, 
and it is fit for promoting several hours' enjoyment in 
chewing, and spitting a disgusting blood-red dye in 
every direction. The latter is produced by the areca- 
nut. It is the tobacco which possesses the narcotic 
principle ; if this is omitted, the remaining ingredients 
are simple stimulants. 

The teeth of all natives are highly discolored by the 
perpetual indulgence in this disgusting habit ; nor is 
this the only effect produced ; cancer in the cheek is a 
common complaint among them, supposed to be pro- 
duced by the caustic lime which is so continually in the 
mouth. 

The exports of areca-nuts from Ceylon will give some 
idea of the supply of palms. In 1853 no less than three 
thousand tons were shipped from this colony, valued at 
about 45,000/. The greater portion of these is con- 
sumed in India. 

Two varieties of palms remain to be described — the 
date and the sago. 

The former is a miserable species, which does not 
exceed the height of three to five feet, and the fruit is 
perfectly worthless. 

The latter is indigenous throughout the jungles in 
Ceylon, but it is neither cultivated, nor is the sago pre- 
pared from it. 

The height of this palm does not exceed fifteen or 
twenty feet, and even this is above the general average. 



Sago-nuts. 243 

It grows in the greatest profusion in the Veddah coun- 
try. The stem is rough, and a continuation of rings 
divides it into irregular sections. The leaves are a rich 
dark green, and very light and feathery, beneath which 
the nuts grow in clusters similar to those of the areca 
palm. 

The only use that the natives make of the produce of 
this tree is in the preparation of flour from the nuts. 
Even this is not very general, which is much to be 
wondered at, as the farina is far superior in flavor to 
that produced from most grains. 

The natives ascribe intoxicating properties to the 
cakes made from this flour ; but I have certainly eaten 
a fair allowance at one time, and I cannot say that I 
had the least sensation of elevation. 

The nut, which is something similar to the areca in 
size, is nearly white when divested of its outer husk, 
and this is soaked for about twenty-four hours in water. 
During this time a slight fermentation takes place, 
and the gas generated splits the nut open at a closed 
joint like an acorn. This fermentation may, perhaps, 
take some exhilarating effect upon the natives' weak 
heads. 

The nuts being partially softened by this immersion, 
are dried in the sun, and subsequently pounded into 
flour in a wooden mortar. This flour is sifted, and the 
coarser parts being separated, are again pounded, until 
a beautiful snow-white farina is produced. This is 
made into a dough by a proper admixture with water, 
and being formed into small cakes, they are baked for 
about a quarter of an hour in a chatty. The fermenta- 
tion which has already taken place in the nut has im- 
pregnated the flower with a leaven ; this, without any 



244 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon, 

further addition, expands the dough when in the oven, 
and the cake produced is very similar to a crumpet, 
both in appearance and flavor. 

The village in which I first tasted this preparation of 
the sago-nut was a tolerable sample of such places, on 
the borders of the Veddah country. The population 
consisted of one old man and a corresponding old 
woman, and one fine stout young man and five young 
women. A host of little children, who were so similai 
in height that they must have been one litter, and three 
or four most miserable dogs and cats, were additional 
tenants of the sol-disant village. 

These people lived upon sago cakes, pumpkins, wild 
fruits and berries, river fish and wild honey. The 
latter is very plentiful throughout Ceylon, and the na- 
tives are very expert in finding out the nests, by watch- 
ing the bees in their flight and following them up. A 
bee-hunter must be a most keen-sighted fellow, although 
there is not so much difficulty in the pursuit as may at 
first appear. No one can mistake the flight of a bee 
en route home, if he has once observed him. He is 
no longer wandering from flower to flower in an un- 
certain course, but he rushes through the air in a 
straight line for the nest. If the bee-hunter sees one 
bee thus speeding homeward, he watches the vacant 
spot in the air, until assured of the direction by the 
successive appearance of these insects, one following 
the other nearly every second in their hurried race to 
the comb. Keeping his eye upon the passing bees, he 
follows them until he reaches the tree in which the 
nest is found. 

There are five varieties of bees in Ceylon ; these are 
all honey-makers, except the carpenter bee. This 



Variety of Bees » 245 

species is entirely unlike a bee in all its habits. It is a 
bright tinsel-green color, and the size of a large walnut, 
but shaped like the humble bees of England. The 
mouth is armed with a very powerful pair of mandi- 
bles, and the tail with a sting even larger and more 
venomous than that of the hornet. These carpenter 
bees are exceedingly destructive, as they bore holes in 
beams and posts, in which they lay their eggs, the 
larvae of which when hatched greedily feed upon the 
timber. 

The honey bees are of four very distinct varieties, 
each of which forms its nest on a different principle. 
The largest and most extensive honey-maker is the 
"bambera." This is nearly as large as a hornet, and 
it forms its nest upon the bough of a tree, from which 
it hangs like a Cheshire cheese, being about the same 
thickness, but five or six inches greater in diameter. 
The honey of this bee is not so much esteemed as that 
from the smaller varieties, as the flavor partakes too 
strongly of the particular flower which the bee has 
frequented ; thus in different seasons the honey varies 
in flavor, and is sometimes so highly aperient that it 
must be used with much caution. This property is of 
course derived from the flower which the bee prefers 
at that particular season. The wax of the comb is the 
purest and whitest of any kind produced in Ceylon. 
So partial are these bees to particular flowers that they 
migrate from place to place at different periods in quest 
of flowers which are then in bloom. 

This is a very wonderful and inexplicable arrange- 
ment of Nature, when it is considered that some flowers 
which particularly attract these migrations only blossom 
once in ''''seven years" This is the case at Newera 
21* 



2.-J.6 Eight Tears^ W^anderings in Ceylon, 

Eliia, where the nillho blossom induces such a general 
rush of this particular bee to the district that the jun- 
gles are swarming with them in every direction, al- 
though during the six preceding years hardly a bee of 
the kind is to be met with. 

There are many varieties of the nillho. These vary 
from a tender dwarf plant to the tall and heavy stem 
of the common nillho, which is nearly as thick as a 
man's arm and about twenty feet high. 

The next honey-maker is very similar in size and 
appearance to our common hive bee in England. This 
variety forms its nest in hollow trees and in holes in 
rocks. Another bee, similar in appearance, but not 
more than half the size, suspends a most delicate comb 
to the twigs of a tree. This nest is no larger than an 
orange, but the honey of the two latter varieties is of 
the finest quality, and quite equal in flavor to the famed 
"miel vert" of the Isle de Burbon, although it has not 
the delicate green tint which is so much esteemed in 
the latter. 

The last of the Ceylon bees is the most tiny, although 
an equally industrious workman. He is a little smaller 
than our common house-fly, and he builds his diminu- 
tive nest in the hollow of a tree, where the entrance to 
his mansion is a hole no larger than would be made by 
a lady's stiletto. 

It would be a natural supposition that so delicate an 
insect would produce a honey of corresponding purity, 
but instead of the expected treasure we find a thick, 
black and rather pungent but highly aromatic mo- 
lasses. The natives, having naturally coarse tastes and 
strong stomachs, admire this honey beyond any other. 
Mar.y persons are surprised at the trifling exports of 



Waste of Becs-juax^ 247 

Wax from Ceylon. In 1853 these amounted to no more 
than one ton. 

Cingalese are curious people, and do not trouble 
themselves about exports ; they waste or consume all 
the beeswax. While we are contented with the hone}^ 
and carefully reject the comb, the native (in some dis- 
tricts) crams his mouth with a large section, and giving 
it one or two bites, he bolts the luscious morsel and be- 
gins another. In this manner immense quantities of 
this valuable article are annually wasted. Some few 
of the natives in the poorest villages save a small quan- 
tity, to exchange with the traveling Moormen for cotton 
cloths, etc., and in this manner the trifling amount ex- 
ported is collected. 

During the honey year at Newera Ellia I gave a 
native permission to hunt bees in my forests, on condi- 
tion that he should bring me the wax. Of course he 
stole the greater portion, but nevertheless, in a few 
weeks he brought me seventy-two pounds' weight of 
well-cleaned and perfectly white wax, which he had 
made up into balls about the size of an eighteen-pound 
shot. Thus, in a few weeks, one man had collected 
about the thirtieth part of the annual export from 
Ceylon ; or, allowing that he stole at least one-half, 
this would amount to the fifteenth. 

It would be a vain attempt to restrain these people 
from their fixed habit ; they would as soon think of re- 
fraining from betel-chewing as giving up a favorite 
food. Neither will they be easily persuaded to indulge 
in a food of a new description. I once showed them 
the common British mushroom, which they declared 
was a poisonous kind. To prove the contrary, I had 
them several times at table, and found them precisely 



24S Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon. 

similar in appearance and flavor to the well-known 
"Agaricus campestris;" but, notwithstanding this 
actual proof, the natives would not be convinced, and, 
althongh accustomed to eat a variety of this tribe, they 
positively declined this experiment. There is an edible 
species which they prefer, which, from its appearance, 
an Englishman would shun : this is perfectly white, 
both above and below, and the upper cuticle cannot be 
peeled off. I have tasted this, but it is very inferior in 
flavor to the common mushroom. 

Experiments in these varieties of fungi are highly 
dangerous, as many of the most poisonous so closely 
resemble the edible species that they can with difficulty 
be distinguished. There is one kind of fungus that I 
have met with in the forests which, from its offensive 
odor and disgusting appearance, should be something 
superlatively bad. It grows about four inches high ; 
the top is round, with a fleshy and inflamed appear- 
ance ; the stalk is out of all proportion in its thickness, 
being about two inches in diameter and of a livid white 
color ; this, wdien broken, is full of a transparent gelati- 
nous fluid, which smells like an egg in the last stage of 
rottenness. 

This fungus looks like an unhealthy excrescence on 
the face of Nature, who, as though ashamed of the dis- 
gusting blemish, has thrown a veil over the defect. 
The most exquisite fabric that can be imagined — a 
scarlet veil, like a silken net — falls over this ugly fun- 
gus, and, spreading like a tent at its base, it is there 
attached to the ground. 

The meshes of this net are about as fine as those of a 
very delicate silk purse, and the gaudiness of the color 
and the size of the fungus make it a very prominent 



Curious Tent-like Fungtis. 249 

object among the surrounding vegetation. In fact, it is 
a diminutive, though perfect circular tent of net-work, 
the stem of the fungus forming the pole in the centre. 

I shall never forget my first introduction to this speci- 
men. It was growing in an open forest, free from any 
underwood, and it seemed like a fairy bivouac beneath 
the mighty trees which overshadowed it. Hardly be- 
lieving my own eyes at so strange and exquisite a struc- 
ture, I jumped off my horse and hastened to secure it. 
But the net-work once raised was like the uncovering 
of the veiled prophet of Khorassan, and the stem, 
crushing in my fingers, revealed all the disgusting pro- 
perties of the plant, and proved the impossibility of re- 
moving it entire. The elegance of its exterior only 
served to conceal its character — like Madame Mantilini, 
who, when undressed, " tumbled into ruins." 

There are two varieties of narcotic fungi whose pro- 
perties are so mild that they are edible in small quanti- 
ties. One is a bright crimson on the surface ; this is 
the most powerful, and is seldom used. The other 
is a white solid puff-ball, with a rough outer skin or 
rind. 

I have eaten the latter on two occasions, having been 
assured by the natives that they were harmless. The 
flavor somewhat resembles a truffle, but I could not 
account for the extreme drowsiness that I felt soon after 
eating ; this wore off in the course of two or three hours. 
On the following day I felt the same effect, but to a still 
greater degree, as, having convinced myself that they 
were really eatable, I had taken a larger quantity. 
Knowing that the narcotic principle is the common 
property of a great variety of fungi, it immediately 
struck me that the puff-balls were the cause. On 



250 Eight Tears' Wandering's in Ceylon, 

questioning the natives, it appeared that it was this 
principle that they admired, as it produced a species of 
mild intoxication. 

All people, of whatever class or clime, indulge in 
some narcotic drug or drink. Those of the Cingalese 
are arrack, tobacco, fungi and the Indian hemp. The 
use of the latter is, however, not so general among the 
Cingalese as the Malabars. This drug has a different 
effect from opium, as it does not injure the constitution, 
but simply exhilarates, and afterward causes a tempo- 
rary lethargy. 

In appearance it very nearly resembles the common 
hemp, but it differs in the seed. The leaves and blos- 
soms are dried, and are either smoked like tobacco, or 
formed into a paste with various substances and 
chewed. 

When the plant approaches maturity, a gummy sub- 
stance exudes from the leaves ; this is gathered by men 
clothed in dry raw hides, who, by walking through the 
plantation, become covered with this gum or glue. 
This is scraped off and carefully preserved, being the 
very essence of the plant, and exceedingly powerful in 
its effects. 

The sensation produced by the properties of this 
shrub is a wild, dreamy kind of happiness ; the ideas 
are stimulated to a high degree, and all that are most 
pleasurable are exaggerated till the senses at length 
sink into a vague and delightful elysium. 

The reaction after this unnatural excitement is very 
distressing, but the sufferer is set all right again by 
some trifling stimulant, such as a glass of wine or 
spirits. 

It is supposed, and confidently asserted by some. 



Intoxicating Drugs, 351 

that the Indian hemp is the foundation of the Egyp- 
tian " hashisch," the effects of which are precisely 
similar. 

However harmless the apparent effect of a narcotic 
drug, common sense must at once perceive that a re- 
peated intoxication, no matter how it is produced, must 
be ultimately hurtful to the system. The brain, accus- 
tomed to constant stimulants, at length loses its natural 
power, and requires these artificial assistants to enable 
it to perform its ordinary functions, in the same man- 
ner that the stomach, from similar treatment, would 
at length cease to act. This being continued, the brain 
becomes semi-torpid, until wakened up by a powerful 
stimulant, and the nervous system is at length worn out 
by a succession of exciting causes and reactions. Thus, 
a hard drinker appears dull and heavy until under the 
influence of his secret destroyer, when he brightens up 
and, perhaps, shines in conversation ; but every reaction 
requires a stronger amount of stimulant to lessen its 
effect, until mind and body at length become involved 
in the common ruin. 

The seed of the lotus is a narcotic of a mild descrip- 
tion, and it is carefully gathered when ripe and eaten 
by the natives. 

The lotus is seen in two varieties in Ceylon — the pink 
and the white. The former is the most beautiful, and 
they are both very common in all tanks and sluggish 
streams. The leaves are larger than those of the water- 
lily, to which they bear a great resemblance, and the 
blossoms are full double the size. When the latter 
fade, the petals fall, and the base of the flower and 
seed-pod remains in the shape of a circular piece of 
honeycomb, full of cells sufficiently large to contain a 



252 Jiight 2 cars' Waiiderincrs in Ceylon. 

hazel-nut. This is about the size of the seed, but the 
shape is more like an acorn without its cup. The 
flavor is pleasant, being something like a filbert, but 
richer and more oily. 

Stramoniun {Datura stramoniurn)^ which is a pow- 
erful narcotic, is a perfect weed throughout the island, 
but it is not used by the natives otherwise than medi- 
cinally, and the mass of the people are ignorant of its 
qualities, which are only known to the Cingalese doc- 
tors. I recollect some years ago, in Mauritius, where 
this plant is equally common, its proprieties were not 
only fully understood, but made use of by some of the 
Chinese emigrants. These fellows made cakes of 
manioc and poisoned them with stramonium. Hot 
manioc cakes are the common every-day accompani- 
ment to a French planter's breakfast at Mauritius, and 
through the medium of these the Chinese robbed several 
houses. Their plan was simple enough. 

A man with cakes to sell appeared at the house at an 
early hour, and these being purchased, he retired until 
about two hours after breakfast was concluded. By 
this time the whole family were insensible, and the 
thieves robbed the house at their leisure. None of 
these cases terminated fatally ; but, from the instant 
that I heard of it, I made every cake-seller who ap- 
peared at the door devour one of his own cakes before 
I became a purchaser. These men, however, were 
bojia Jide cake-merchants, and I did not meet with an 
exception. 

There are a great variety of valuable medicinal plants 
in the jungles of Ceylon, many of which are unknown 
to any but the native doctors. Those most commonly 
known to us, and which may be seen growing wild by 



The Cassia Fistula, 253 

the roadside, are the nux vomica, ipecacuanha, gam- 
boge, sarsaparilla, cassia fistula, cardamoms, etc. 

The ipecacuanha is a pretty, delicate plant, which 
bears a bright orange-colored cluster of flowers. 

The cassia fistula is a very beautiful tree, growing to 
the size of an ash, which it somewhat resembles in 
foliage. The blossom is very beautiful, being a pendant 
of golden flowers similar to the laburnum, but each 
blossom is about two and a half feet long, and the indi- 
vidual flowers on the bunch are large in proportion. 
When the tree is in full flower it is very superb, and 
equally as singular when its beauty has faded and the 
seed-pods are formed. These grow to a length of from 
two to three feet, and when ripe are perfectly black, 
round, and about three-quarters of an inch in diameter. 
The tree has the appearance of bearing a prolific crop 
of ebony rulers, each hanging from the bough by a 
short string. 

There is another species of cassia fistula, the foliage 
of which assimilates to the mimosa. This bears a 
thicker, but much shorter, pod, of about a foot in 
length. The properties of both are the same, being 
laxative. Each seed within the pod is surrounded by 
a sweet, black and honey-like substance, which con- 
tains the property alluded to. 

The gamboge tree is commonly known in Ceylon as 
the "ghorka." This grows to the common size of an 
apple tree, and bears a corrugated and intensely acid 
fruit. This is dried by the natives and used in curries. 
The gamboge is the juice of the tree obtained by in- 
cisions in the bark. This tree grows in great numbers 
in the neighborhood of Colombo, especially among the 
cinnamon gardens. Here, also, the cashew tree grows 
22 



^54 JBight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

to great perfection. The bark of the latter is very rich 
in tannin, and is used by the natives in the preparation 
of hides. The fruit is like an apple in appearance, and 
small, but is highly astringent. The vs^ell-known 
cashew-nut grows like an excrescence from the end of 
the apple. 

Many are the varieties and uses of vegetable produc- 
tions in Ceylon, but of these none are more singular 
and interesting than the "sack tree," the Riti Gaha 
of the Cingalese. From the bark of this tree an in- 
finite number of excellent sacks are procured, with 
very little trouble or preparation. The tree being felled, 
the branches are cut into logs of the length required, 
and sometimes these are soaked in water ; but this is 
not always necessary. The bark is then well beaten 
with a wooden mallet, until it is loosened from the 
wood ; it is then stripped off the log as a stocking is 
drawn off the leg. It is subsequently bleached, and 
one end being sewn up, completes a perfect sack of a 
thick fibrous texture, somewhat similar to felt. 

These sacks are in general use among the natives,, 
and are preferred by them to any other, as their dura- 
bility is such that they sometimes descend from father 
to son. By constant use they stretch and increase their 
original size nearly one half. The texture necessarily 
becomes thinner, but the strength does not appear to be 
materially decreased. 

There are many fibrous barks in Ceylon, some of 
which are so strong that thin strips require a great 
amount of strength to break them, but none of these 
have yet been reduced to a marketable fibre. Several 
barks are more or less aromatic ; others would be valu- 
able to the tanners ; several are highly esteemed by the 



No Gtcm Trees of Value i?i Ceylon. 255 

natives as most valuable astringents, but hitherto none 
have received much notice from Europeans. This may 
be caused by the general want of success of all experi- 
ments w^ith indigenous produce. Although the jungles 
of Ceylon produce a long list of articles of much in- 
terest, still their value chiefly lies in their curiosity ; 
they are useful to the native, but comparatively of little 
worth to the European. In fact, few things will actu- 
ally pay for the trouble and expense of collecting and 
transporting. Throughout the vast forests and jungles 
of Ceylon, although the varieties of trees are endless, 
there is not one valuable gum known to exist. There 
is a great variety of coarse, unmarketable productions, 
about equal to the gum of the cherry tree, etc., bul 
there is no such thing as a high-priced gum in the 
island. 

The export of dammer is a mere trifle — four tons in 
1852, twelve tons in 1853. This is a coarse and com- 
paratively valueless commodity. No other tree but the 
doom tree produces any gum worth collecting ; this 
species of rosin exudes in large quantities from an in- 
cision in the bark, but the amount of exports shows its 
insignificance. It is a fair sample of Ceylon produc- 
tions ; nothing that is uncultivated is of much pecuniary 
value. 



V 



CHAPTER XI. 



INDIGENOUS PRODUCTIONS — THE BOTANICAL GARDENS — SUG- 
GESTED EXPERIMENTS — LACK OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO 
GOLD-DIGGERS — THE PROSPECTS OF GOLD-DIGGING — WE 
WANT "nuggets" — ^WHO IS TO BLAME? — GOVERNOR'S SAL- 
ARY — FALLACIES OF A FIVE YEARS' REIGN — NEGLECTED 
EDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE — RESPONSIBILITIES OF CON- 
QUEST — PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY. 

THE foregoing chapter may appear to decry in toto 
the indigenous productions of Ceylon, as it is 
asserted that they are valueless in their natural state. 
Nevertheless, I do not imply that they must necessarily 
remain useless. Where Nature simply creates a genus, 
cultivation extends the species, and from an insignifi- 
cant parent stock we propagate our finest varieties of 
both animals and vegetables. Witness the wild kale, 
parsnip, carrot, crab-apple, sloe, etc., all utterly worth- 
less, but nevertheless the first parents of their now 
choice descendants. 

It is therefore impossible to say what might not be 
done in the improvement of indigenous productions 
were the attention of science bestowed upon them. 
But all this entails expense, and upon whom is this to 
fall? Out of a hundred experiments ninety-nine might 
I lil. In Ceylon we have no wealthy experimentalists, 
' o agricultural exhibitions, no model farms, but every 
256 



Botanical Gardens. 257 

man who settles in a colony has left the mother country 
to TDetter himself; therefore, no private enterprise is 
capable of such speculation. It clearly rests upon the 
government to develop the resources of the country, to 
prove the value of the soil, which is delivered to the 
purchaser at so much per acre, good or bad. But no ; 
it is not in the nature of our government to move from 
an established routine. As the squirrel revolves his 
cage, so governor after governor rolls his dull course 
along, pockets his salary, and leaves the poor colony as 
he found it. 

The government may direct the attention of the pub- 
lic, in reply, to their own establishment — to the botan- 
ical gardens. Have we not botanical gardens .f* We 
have, indeed, and much good they should do, if 
conducted upon the principle of developing local 
resources ; but this would entail expense, and, like 
everything in the hands of government, it dies in its 
birth for want of consistent management. 

With an able man as superintendent at a good 
salary, the beautiful gardens at Peredenia are rendered 
next to useless for want of a fund at his disposal. 
Instead of being conducted as an experimental farm, 
they are little more than ordinary pleasure-grounds, 
filled with the beautiful foliage of the tropics and kept 
in perfect order. What benefit have they been to the 
colony } Have the soils of various districts been tested }. 
have new fibres been manufactured from the countless 
indigenous fibrous plants? have new oils been ex- 
tracted? have medicinal drugs been produced? have 
dyes been extracted? have improvements been sug- 
gested in the cultivation of any of the staple articles of 
Ceylon export? In fact, has anything ever been 
22* R 



258 Might Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon, 

done by government for the interest of the private 
settler ? 

This is not the fault of the manager of the gardens ; 
he has the will, but no funds. My idea of the object 
of a botanical garden is, that agricultural theories 
should be reduced to facts, upon which private enter- 
prise may speculate, and by such success the govern- 
ment should ultimately benefit. 

It is well known to the commonest school-boy that 
soil which may be favorable to one plant is not adapted 
to another ; therefore, where there is a diversity of soils 
it stands to reason that there should be a corresponding 
variety of crops to suit those soils, so as to make the 
whole surface of the land yield its proportion. 

In Ceylon, where the chief article of production is 
coffee, land (upon an estate) which is not suitable t© 
this cultivation is usually considered waste. Thus the 
government and the private proprietor are alike losers 
in possessing an amount of unprofitable soil. 

Now, surely it is the common sense object in the 
establishment of a botanical garden to discover for each 
description of soil a remunerating crop, so that an 
estate should be cultivated to its uttermost, and the 
word '' waste" be unknown upon the property. 

Under the present system of management this is mi- 
possible ; the sum allowed per annum is but just suffi- 
cient to keep the gardens in proper condition, and the 
abilities of the botanist in charge are sacrificed. Many 
a valuable plant now lies screened in the shades of 
remote jungles, which the enterprising botanist would 
bring to light were he enabled by government to make 
periodical journeys through the interior. These jour- 
neys should form a part of his duties ; his botanical 



^ Discovery of Gold. 259 

specimens should be his game, and they should be pur- 
sued with the ardor of the chase itself, and subsequently 
transferred to the gardens and their real merits discov- 
ered by experiments. 

But what can be expected from an apathetic system 
of government? Dyes, fibres, gums may abound in 
the forests, metals and even gold may be concealed be- 
neath our feet ; but the governor does not consider it a 
part of his duty to prosecute the search, or even to ren- 
der facilities to those of a more industrious tempera- 
ment. What can better exemplify the case than the 
recent discovery of gold at Newera Ellia ? 

Here was the plain fact that gold was found in small 
specks, not in one spot, but everywhere throughout the 
swamps for miles in the vicinity — that at a depth of 
two or three feet from the surface this proof was ad- 
duced of its presence ; but the governor positively re- 
fused to assist the discoverers (" diggers," who were 
poor sailors visiting Ceylon), although they merely 
asked for subsistence until they should be able to reach 
a greater depth. This may appear too absurd to be 
correct, but it is nevertheless true. 

At the time that I commenced these sketches of 
Ceylon the gold was just discovered, and I touched but 
lightly upon it, in the expectation that a few months of 
labor, aided by government support, would have estab- 
lished its presence in remunerating quantities. The 
swampy nature of the soil rendered the digging impos- 
sible without the aid of powerful pumps to reduce the 
water, which filled the shaft so rapidly that no greater 
depth could be obtained than eighteen feet, and even 
this at immense labor. 

The diggers were absolutely penniless, and but for 



.'6o Eight Tears' Wandej'higs in Ceylon. 

assistance received from private parties they must have 
starved. Tiie rainy season vs'^as at its height, and tor- 
rents fell night and day with little intermission. Still, 
these poor little fellows worked early and late, wet and 
dry, ever sanguine of success, and they at length pe- 
titioned the government to give them the means of sub- 
sistence for a few months — " subsistence" for two men, 
and the assistance of a few coolies. This was refused, 
and the reply stated that the government intended to 
leave the search for gold to " private enterprise." No 
reward was offered for its discovery as in other colonies, 
but the governor would leave it to "private enterprise." 
A promising enterprise truly, when every landholder in 
Ceylon, on referring to his title-deeds, observes the 
I'cservation of all precious metals to the crown. This 
ir) a fair sample of the narrow-minded, selfish policy of 
a government which, in endeavoring to save a little, 
loses all; a miserable tampering with the public in 
attempting to make a cat's paw of private enterprise. 

How has this ended.'* The diggers left the island in 
disgust. If the gold is there in quantity, there in 
quantity it remains to the present time, unsought for. 
The subject of gold is so generally interesting, and in 
this case of such importance to the colony, that, believ 
ing as I do that it does exist in large quantities, I must 
claim the reader's patience in going into this subject 
rather fully. 

Let us take the matter as it stands. 

The reader will remember that I mentioned at an 
early part of these pages that gold was first discovered 
in Ceylon by the diggers in the bed of a stream near 
Kandy — that they subsequently came to Newera Ellia, 
and there discovered gold likewise. 



Prospects of Gold-Dlggers. 261 

It must be remembered that the main features of the 
country at Newera Ellia and the vicinity are broad flats 
or swampy plains, surrounded by hills and mountains : 
the former covered with rank grass and intersected by 
small streams, the latter covered with dense forest. 
The soil abounds with rocks of gneiss and quartz, 
some of the latter rose-color, some pure white. The 
gold has hitherto been found in the plains only. These 
plains extend over some thirty miles of country, divided 
into numerous patches by intervening jungles. 

The surface soil is of a peaty nature, perfectly black, 
soapy when wet, and as light as soot when dry ; worth- 
less for cultivation. This top soil is about eighteen 
inches thick, and appears to have been the remains of 
vegetable matter washed down from the surrounding 
hills and forests. 

This swampy black soil rests upon a thin stratum of 
brownish clay, not more than a few inches thick, which, 
forming a second layer, rests in its turn upon a snow 
white rounded quartz gravel intermixed with white 
pipe-clay. 

This contains gold, every shovelful of earth pro- 
ducing, when washed, one or more specks of the pre- 
cious metal. 

The stratum of rounded quartz is about two feet 
thick, and is succeeded by pipe-clay, intermixed with 
quartz gravel, to a depth of eighteen feet. Here an- 
other stratum of quartz gravel is met with, perfectly 
water-worn and rounded to the size of a twelve-pound 
shot. 

In this stratum the gold was of increased size, and 
some pieces were discovered as large as small grains 
of rice ; but no greater depth was attained at the' time 



262 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon. 

of writing than to this stratum, viz., eighteen feet from 
the surface. 

No other holes were sunk to a greater depth than 
ten feet, on account of the influx of water, but similar 
shafts were made in various places, and all with equal 
success. 

From the commencement of the first stratum of 
quartz throughout to the greatest depth attained gold 
was present. 

Upon washing away the clay and gravel, a great 
number of gems of small value remained (chiefly sap- 
phire, ruby, jacinth and green tourmaline). These 
being picked out, there remained a jet-black fine sand, 
resembling gunpowder. This was of great specific 
gravity, and when carefully washed, discovered the 
gold — some in grains, some in mere specks, and some 
like fine, golden flour. 

At this interesting stage the search has been given 
up : although the cheering sight of gold can be ob- 
tained in nearly every pan of earth at such trifling 
depths, and literally in every direction, the prospect is 
abandoned. The government leaves it to private en- 
terprise, but the enterprising public have no faith in 
the government. 

Without being over-sanguine, or, on the other side, 
closing our ears with asinine stubbornness, let us take 
an impartial view of the facts determined, and draw 
rational conclusions. 

It appears that from a depth of two and a half feet 
from the surface to the greatest depth as yet attained 
(eighteen feet), gold exists throughout. 

It also appears that this is not only the case in one 
particular spot, but all over this part of the country, 



The ''''Liberality^'' of Government. 263 

and that this fact is undeniable; and, nevertheless, the 
government did not believe in the existe?zce of gold in 
Ceylon until these diggers discovered it; and vv^hen 
discovered, they gave the diggers neither reward nor 
encouragement, but they actually met the discovery by 
a published prohibition against the search ; they then 
latterly withdrew the prohibition and left It to private 
enterprise, but neglected the unfortunate diggers. In 
this manner is the colony mismanaged ; in this man- 
ner is all public spirit damped, all private enterprise 
checked, and all men who have anything to venture 
disgusted. 

The liberality of a government must be boundless 
where the actual subsistence for a few months is re- 
fused to the discoverers of gold in a country where, 
hitherto, its presence had been denied. 

It would be speculative to anticipate the vast changes 
that an extended discovery would effect in such a colony 
as Ceylon. We have before us the two pictures of 
California, and Australia, which have been changed as 
though by the magician's wand within the last few 
years. It becomes us now simply to consider the 
probability of the gold being in such quantities in Cey- 
lon as to effect such changes. We have at present 
these simple data — that in a soft, swampy soil gold has 
been found close to the surface in small specks, gra- 
dually increasing in size and quantity as a greater depth 
has been attained. 

From the fact that gold will naturally lie deep, from 
its specific gravity, It Is astonishing that any vestige of 
such a metal should be discovered in such soil so close 
to the surface. Still more astonishing that It should be 
so generally disseminated throughout the locality. 



264 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

This would naturally be accepted as a proof that the 
soil is rich in gold. But the question will then arise, 
Where is the gold ? The quantities found are a mere 
nothing — it is only dust: we want "nuggets." 

The latter is positively the expression that I myself 
frequently heard in Ceylon—" We want nuggets." 

Who does not want nuggets? But people speak of 
" nuggets" as they would of pebbles, forgetting that the 
very principle which keeps the light dust at the surface 
has forced the heavier gold to a greater depth, and 
that, far from complaining of the lack of nuggets when 
digging has hardly commenced, they should gaze with 
wonder at the bare existence of the gold in its present 
form and situation. 

The diggings at Ballarat are from a hundred to an 
hundred and sixty feet deep in hard ground, and yet 
people in Ceylon expect to find heavy gold in mere 
mud, close to the surface. The idea is preposterous, 
and I conceive it only reasonable to infer from the 
present appearances that gold does exist in large quan- 
tities in Ceylon. But as it is reasonable to suppose 
such to be the case, so it is unreasonable to suppose 
that private individuals will invest capital in so uncer- 
tain a speculation as mining, without facilities from the 
government, and in the very face of the clause in their 
own title-deeds " that all precious metals belong to the 
crown." 

This is the anomalous position of the gold in Ceylon 
under the governorship of Sir G. Anderson. 

Nevertheless, it becomes a question whether we should 
blame the man or the system, but the question arises in 
this case, as with everything else in which government 
is concerned, "Where is the fault.?" "Echo answers 



Who IS to Blame ? 265 

* Where?'" But the pubHc are not satisfied with 
echoes, and in this matter-of-fact age people look to 
those who fill ostensible posts and draw bona Jide sala- 
ries ; and if these men hold the appointments, no matter 
under what system, they become the deserved objects 
of either praise or censure. 

Thus it may appear too much to say that Sir G. 
Anderson is liable for the mismanagement of the colony 
in toto — for the total neglect of the public roads. It 
may appear too much to say, When you came to the 
colony you found the roads in good order : they are now 
impassable ; communication is actually cut off' from 
places of importance. This is your fault, these are 
the fruits jof your imbecility ; your answer to our peti- 
tions for repairs was, " There is no money ;" and yet at 
the close of the year you proclaimed and boasted of a 
saving of twenty-seven thousand pounds in the treasury ! 
This seems a fearful contradiction ; and the whole 
public received it as such. The governor may com- 
plain that the public expect too much ; the public may 
complain that the governor does too little. 

•Upon these satisfactory terms, governors and their 
dependants bow each other out, the colony being a kind 
of opera stall, a reserved seat for the governor during 
the performance of five acts (as we will term his five 
years of office) ;" and the fifth act, as usual in tragedies, 
exposes the whole plot of the preceding four, and winds 
up with the customary disasters. 

Now the question is, how long this age of misrule 
will last. 

Every one complains, and still every one endures. 
Kach man has a grievance, but no man has a remedy. 
Still, the absurdity of our colonial appointments is such 
23 



266 Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon. 

that if steps were purposely taken to ensure the destruc 
tion of the colonies, they could not have been more 
certain. 

We will commence with a new governor dealt out to 
a colony. We will simply call him a governor, not 
troubling ourselves with his qualifications, as of course 
they have not been considered at the Colonial Office. 
He may be an upright, clear-headed, indefatigable man, 
in the prime of life, or he may be old, crotchety, pig- 
headed, and mentally and physically incapable. He 
may be either ; it does not much matter, as he can onl}*^ 
remain for five years, at which time his term expires. 

We will suppose that the crotchety old gentleman 
arrives first. The public will be in a delightful per- 
plexity as to what the new governor will do — whether 
he will carry out the views of his predecessor, or 
whether he will upset everything that has been done in 
the past five years ; all is uncertainty. The only thing 
known positively is, that, good or bad, he will pocket 
seven thousand a year ! * 

His term of government will be chequered by many 
disappointments to the public, and, if he has any feeling 
at all, by many heartburnings to himself. Physically 
incapable of much exertion, he will be unable to travel 
over so wild a country as Ceylon. A good governor 
in a little island may be a very bad governor in a large 
island, as a good cab-driver might make a bad four-in- 
hand man ; thus our old governor would have no prac- 
tical knowledge of the country, but would depend upon 
prejudiced, accounts for his information. Thus he 
would never arrive at any correct information ; he 
would receive all testimony with doubt, considering 
* Since reduced to five thousand pounds. 



The Two Governors, 267 

that each had some personal motive in offering advice, 
and one tongue would thus nullify the other until he 
would at length come to the conclusion of David in his 
haste, " that all men are liars," and turn a deaf ear to 
all. This would enable him to pass the rest of his term 
without any active blunders, and he might vary the pas- 
sive monotony of his existence by a system of contra- 
diction to all advice gratis. A little careful pruning of 
expenses during the last two years of his term might 
give a semblance of increase of revenue over expendi- 
tute~, to gain a smile from the Colonial Office. On his 
return the colony would be left with neglected roads, 
consequent upon the withdrawal of the necessary 
funds. 

This incubus at length removed from the colony, may 
be succeeded by a governor of the first class. 

He arrives ; finds everything radically wrong ; the 
great arteries of the country (the roads) in disorder ; a 
large outlay required to repair them. Thus his first 
necessary act begins by an outlay at a time when all 
outlay is considered equivalent to crime. This gains 
him a frown from the Colonial Office. Conscious of 
right, however, he steers his own course ; he travels 
over the whole country, views its features personally, 
judges of its requirements and. resources, gathers ad- 
vice from capable persons, forms his own opinion, and 
acts accordingly. 

We will allow two years of indefatigable research to 
have passed over our model governor ; by that time, 
and not before, he may have become thoroughly con- 
versant with the colony in all its bearings. He has 
comprehended the vast natural capabilities, he has 
forn^ed his plans methodically for the improvement of 



268 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

the country ; not by any rash and speculative outlay, 
but, step by step, he hopes to secure the advancement 
of his schemes. 

This is a work of time ; he has much to do. The 
countr}^ is in an uncivilized state ; he sees the vestiges 
of past grandeur around him, and his views embrace a 
wide field for the renewal of former prosperity. Tanks 
must be repaired, canals reopened, emigration of Chi- 
nese and Malabars encouraged, forests and jungles 
cleared, barren land brought into fertility. The work 
of years is before him, but the expiration of his term 
draws near. Time is precious, but nevertheless he 
must refer his schemes to the Colonial Office. What 
do they know of Ceylon ? To them his plans seem vis- 
ionary ; at all events they will require an outlay. A 
correspondence ensues — that hateful correspondence ! 
This ensures delay. Time flies ; the expiration of his 
term draws near. Even his sanguine temperament has 
ceased to hope ; his plans are not even commenced, to 
work out wh'ich would require years ; he never could 
see them realized, and his successor might neglect 
them and lay the onus of the failure upon him, the 
originator, or claim the merit of their success. 

So much for a five years' term of governorship, the 
absurdity of which is superlative. It is so entirely con- 
trary to the system of management in private affairs 
that it is difficult to imagine the cause that could have 
given rise to such a regulation. In matters great or 
small, the capability of the manager is the first con- 
sideration ; and if this be proved, the value of the man 
is enhanced accordingly ; no employer would lose 
him. 

But in colonial governments the system is directly 



Neglected Education of tJie Peofle. i:.(y(^ 

opposite, for no sooner does the governor become com- 
petent than he is withdrawn and transferred to another 
sphere. Thus every colony is like a farm held on a 
short lease, which effectually debars it from improve- 
ment, as the same feeling which actuates the individual 
in neglecting the future, because he will not personally 
enjoy the fruits of his labor, must in some degree fetter 
the enterprise of a five years' governor. He is little 
better than the Lord Mayor, who flutters proudly for a 
year, and then drops his borrowed feathers in his 
moulting season. 

Why should not governors serve an apprenticeship 
for five years as colonial secretaries to the colonies they 
are destined for, if five years is still to be the limited 
term of their office? This would ensure a knowledge 
of the colony at a secretary's salary, and render them 
fit for both the office and salary of governor when 
called upon ; whereas, by the present system, they at 
once receive a governor's salary before they understand 
their duties. 

In casually regarding the present picture of Ceylon, 
it is hard to say which point has been most neglected ; 
but a short residence in the island will afford a fair 
sample of government inactivity in the want of educa- 
tion among the people. 

Upon this subject more might be said than lies in my 
province to dwell upon ; nevertheless, after fifty years* 
possession of the Kandian districts, this want is so 
glaring that I cannot withhold a few remarks upon the 
subject, as I consider the ignorant state of the native 
population a complete check to the advancement of the 
colony. 

In commencing this subject, I must assume that the 
23* 



270 Eight 2'ears^ Wanderings' in Ceylon, 

coiiqueroi s of territory are responsible for the moral 
welfare of the inhabitants ; therefore our responsibilty 
increases with our conquests. A mighty onus thus 
rests upon Great Britain, which few consider when 
they glory in the boast, " that the sun never sets upon 
her dominions." 

This thought leads us to a comparison of power be- 
tween ourselves and other countries, and we trace the 
small spot upon the world's map which marks our 
little island, and in every sphere we gaze with wonder 
at our vast possessions. This is a picture of the pres- 
ent. What will the future be in these days of advance- 
ment? It were vain to hazard a conjecture; but we 
can look back upon the past, and build upon this foun- 
dation our future hopes. 

When the pomps and luxuries of Eastern cities spread 
throughout Ceylon, and millions of inhabitants fed on 
her fertility, when the hands of her artists chiseled the 
figures of her gods from the rude rock, when her 
vessels, laden with ivoiy and spices, traded with the 
West, what were we } A forest-covered country, peo- 
pled by a fierce race of savages clad in skins, bowing 
before druidical idolatry, paddling along our shores in 
frames of wickerwork and hide. 

The ancient deities of Ceylon are in the same spots, 
unchanged ; the stones of the Druids stand unmoved ; 
but what has become of the nations? Those of the 
East have faded away and their strength has perished. 
Their ships are crumbled ; the rude canoe glides over 
their waves ; the spices grow wild in their jungles ; 
and, unshorn and unclad, the inhabitants wander on 
the face of the land. 

Is it "chance" that has worked this change ? Where 



jResponsibilittes of Conquest, ^^\ 

IS the forest-covered country and its savage race, its 
skin-clad warriors and their frail coracles? 

There, where the forest stood, from north to south 
and from east to west, spreads a wide field of rich fer- 
tility. There, on those rivers where the basket-boats 
once sailed, rise the taut spars of England's navy. 
Where the rude hamlet rested on its banks in rural 
solitude, the never-weary din of commerce rolls through 
the city of the world. The locomotive rushes like a 
thunder-clap upon the rail ; the steamer ploughs against 
the adverse wind, and, rapid as the lightning, the tele- 
graph cripples time. The once savage land is the 
nucleus of the arts and civilization. The nation that 
from time to time was oppressed, invaded, conquered, 
but never subjected, still pressed against the weight of 
adversity, and, as age after age rolled on, and mightier 
woes and civil strife gathered upon her, still the germ 
of her destiny, as it expanded, threw off her load, until 
she at length became a nation envied and feared. 

It was then that the powers of the world were armed 
against her, and all Europe joined to tear the laurels 
from her crown, and fleets and armies thronged from 
all points against the devoted land, and her old enemy, 
the Gaul, hovered like his own eagle over the expected 
prey. 

The thunder of the cannon shook the world, and 
blood tinged the waves around the land, and war and 
tumult shrieked like a tempest over the fair face of 
Nature ; the din of battle smothered all sounds of 
peace, and years passed on and thicker grew the 
gloom. It was then the innate might of the old Briton 
■roused itself to action and strained those giant nerves 
-wnich brought us victory. The struggle was past, and 



1J2 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon. 

as the smoke of battle cleared from the surface of the 
world, the flag of England waved in triumph on the 
ocean, her fleets sat swan-like on the waves, her stand- 
ard floated on the strongholds of the universe, and far 
and wide stretched the vast boundaries of her con- 
quests. 

Again I ask, is this the effect of " chance?" or is it 
the mighty will of Omnipotence, which, choosing his 
instruments from the humbler ranks, has snatched Eng- 
land from her lowly state, and has exalted her to be the 
apostle of Christianity throughout the world? 

Here lies her responsibility. The conquered nations 
are in her hands ; they have been subject to her for half 
a century, but they know neither her language nor her 
religion. 

How many millions of human beings of all creeds 
and colors does she control ? Are they or their descend- 
ants to embrace our faith? — that is, are we the divine 
instrument for accomplishing the vast change that we 
expect by the universal acknowlegment of Christianity ? 
or are we — I pause before the suggestion — are we but 
another of those examples of human insignificance, 
that, as from dust we rose, so to dust we shall return } — 
shall we be but another in the long list of nations 
whose ruins rest upon the solitudes of Nature, like 
warnings to the proud cities which triumph in their 
strength ? Shall the traveler in future ages place his 
foot upon the barren sod and exclaim, " Here stood 
their great city !" 

The inhabitants of Nineveh would have scoffed at 
such a supposition. And yet they fell, and yet the 
desert sand shrouded their cities as the autumn leaves 
fall on the faded flowers of summer. 



Progress of Christianity. 273 

To a fatalist it can matter but little whether a natiori 
fulfills its duty, or whether, by neglecting it, punish- 
ment should be drawn down upon its head. According 
to his theory, neither good nor evil acts would alter a 
predestined course of events. There are apparently 
fatalist governments as well as individuals, which, 
absorbed in the fancied prosperity of the present, legis- 
late for temporal advantages only. 

Thus we see the most inconsistent and anomalous 
conditions imposed in treaties with conquered powers ; 
we see, for instance, in Ceylon, a protection granted to 
the Buddhist religion, while flocks of missionaries are 
sent out to convert the heathen. We even stretch the 
point so far as to place a British sentinel on guard at 
the Buddhist temple in Kandy, as though in mockery 
of our Protestant church a hundred paces distant. 

At the same time that we acknowledge and protect 
the Buddhist religion, we pray that Christianity shall 
spread through the whole world ; and we appoint bish- 
ops to our colonies at the same time we neglect the 
education of the inhabitants. 

When I say we neglect the education I do not mean 
to infer that there are no government schools, but that 
the education of the people, instead of being one of 
the most important objects of the government, is con- 
sidered of so little moment that it is tantamount to 
neglected. 

There are various opinions as to the amount of learn- 
ing which constitutes education, and at some of the 
government schools the native children are crammed 
with useless nonsense, which, by raising them above 
their natural position, totally unfits them for their 
proper sphere. This is what the government calls 

S 



2^4 Eight lears* Wanderings in Ceylon, 

education ; and the same time and expense thus em- 
ployed in teaching a few would educate treble the 
number in plain English. It is too absurd to hear the 
arguments in favor of mathematics, geography, etc., 
etc., for the native children, when a large proportion 
of our own population in Great Britain can neither 
read nor write. 

The ofreat desideratum in native education is a tho- 
rough knowledge of the English tongue, which natu- 
rally is the first stone for any superstructure of more 
extended learning. This brings them within the reach 
of the missionary, not only in conversation, but it en- 
ables them to benefit by books, which are otherwise use- 
less. It lessens the distance between the white man 
and the black, and an acquaintance with the English 
language engenders a taste for English habits. The 
first dawn of civilization commences with a knowledge 
of our language. The native immediately adopts some 
English customs and ideas, and drops a corresponding 
number of his own. In fact, he is a soil fit to work 
upon, instead of being a barren rock as hitherto, firm 
in his own ignorance and prejudices. 

In the education of the rising native generation lies 
the hope of ultimate conversion. You may as well try 
to turn pitch into snow as to eradicate the dark stain 
of heathenism from the present race. Nothing can be 
done with them ; they must be abandoned like the bar- 
ren fig-tree, and the more attention bestowed upon the 
young shoots. 

But, unfortunately, this is a popular error, and, like 
all such, one full of prejudice. Abandon the present 
race ! Methinks I hear the cry from Exeter Hall. 
But the good people at home have no idea to what an 



Ignorance of Native Population, 275 

extent they are at present, and always have been, aban- 
doned. Where the children who can be educated with 
success are neglected at the present day, it may be im- 
agined that the parents have been but little cared for ; 
thus, in advocating their abandonment, it is simply pro- 
posing an extra amount of attention to be bestowed 
upon the next generation. 

There are many large districts of Ceylon where no 
schools of any kind are established. In the Ouva 
country, which is one of the most populous, I have had 
applications from the natives, begging me to interest 
myself in obtaining some arrangement of the kind. 
Throngs of natives applied, describing the forlorn con- 
dition of their district, all being not only anxious to 
send their children to some place where they could 
learn free of expense, but offering to pay a weekly sti- 
pend in return. " They are growing up as ignorant 
as our young buffaloes," was a remarl^made by one of 
the headmen of the villages, and this within twelve 
miles of Newera Ellia. 

Now, leaving out the question of policy in endeavor- 
ing to make the language of our own country the com- 
mon tongue of a conquered colony, it must be admitted 
that, "simply as a question of duty, it is incumbent 
upon the government to do all in its power for the 
moral advancement of the native population. It is 
known that the knowledge. of our language is the first 
step necessary to this advancement, and nevertheless 
it is left undone ; the population is therefore neglected. 

I have already adverted to the useless system in the 
government schools of forcing a superabundant amount 
of knowledge into the children's brains, and thereby 
raising them above their position. A contrasting ex- 



f 

276 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon, 

ample of good common-sense education has recently 
been given by the Rev. Mr. Thurston (who is indefati- 
gable in his profession) in the formation of an indus- 
trial school at Colombo. 

This is precisely the kind of education which is re- 
quired ; and it has already been attended with results 
most beneficial on its limited scale. 

This school is conducted on the principle that the 
time of every boy shall not only be of service to him- 
self, but shall likewise tend to the support of the estab- 
lishment. The children are accordingly instructed in 
such pursuits as shall be the means of earning a liveli- 
hood in future years : some are taught a trade, others 
are employed in the cultivation of gardens, and subse- 
quently in the preparation of a variety of produce. 
Among others, the preparation of tapioca from the root 
of the manioc has recently been attended with great 
success. In fafct, they are engaged during their leisure 
hours in a variety of experiments, all of which tend to 
an industrial turn of mind, benefiting not only the lad 
and the school, but also the government, by preparing 
for the future men who will be serviceable and indus- 
trious in their station. 

Here is a lesson for the government which, if carried 
out on an extensive scale, would work a greater change 
in the colony within the next twenty years than all the 
preaching of the last fifty. 

Throughout Ceylon, in every district, there should be 
established one school upon this principle for every 
hundred boys, and a small tract of land granted to 
each. One should be attached to the botanical gardens 
at Peredenia, and instruction should be given to enable 
every school to perform its own experiments in agri- 



How to Convert the Natives, 277 

culture. By this means, in the course of a few years 
we should secure an educated and useful population, in 
lieu of the present indolent and degraded race : an im- 
proved system of cultivation, new products, a variety 
of trades, and, in fact, a test of the capabilities of the 
country would be ensured, without risk to the govern- 
ment, and to the ultimate prosperity of the colony. 
Heathenism could not exist in such a state of affairs ; it 
would die out. Minds exalted by education upon such 
a system would look with ridicule upon the vestiges of 
former idolatry, and the rocky idols would remain with- 
out a worshiper, while a new generation flocked to the 
Christian altar. 

This is no visionary prospect. It has been satisfac- 
torily proved that the road to conversion to Christianity 
is through knowledge, and this once attained, heathen- 
ism shrinks into the background. This knowledge can 
only be gained by the young when such schools are 
established as I have described. 

Our missionaries should therefore devote their atten- 
tion to this object, and cease to war against the impos- 
sibility of adult conversion. If one-third of the 
enormous sums hitherto expended with little or no 
results upon missionary labor had been employed in 
the establishments as proposed, our colonies would 
now possess a Christian population. But are our mis- 
sionaries capable? Here commences another question, 
which again involves others in their turn, all of which, 
when answered, thoroughly explain the stationary, if 
not retrograde, position of the Protestant Church 
among the heathen. 

What is the reader's conceived opinion of the duties 
and labors of a missionary in a heathen land ? Does 
24 



27^ Eight Tears' Wanderings i7Z Ceylon, 

he, or does he not imagine, as he pays his subscription 
toward this object, that the devoted missionary quits 
his native shores, like one of the apostles of old, to fight 
the good fight? that he leaves all to follow "Him?" 
and that he wanders forth in his zeal to propagate the 
gospel, penetrating into remote parts, preaching to the 
natives, attending on the sick, living a life of hardship 
and self-denial ? 

It is a considerable drawback to this belief in mis- 
sionary labor when it is known that the missionaries 
are not educated for the particular colonies to which 
they are sent ; upon arrival, they are totally ignorant of 
the language of the natives, accordingly, they are per- 
fectly useless for the purpose of " propagating the gos- 
pel among the heathen." Their mission should be that 
of instructing the young, and for this purpose they 
should first be instructed themselves. 

I do not wish to throw a shade upon the efforts of 
missionary labor ; I have no doubt that they use great 
exertions privately, which the public on the spot do 
not observe ; but taking this for granted as the case, the 
total want of success in the result becomes the more 
deplorable. 

I have also no doubt that the missionaries penetrate 
into the most remote parts of Ceylon and preach the 
gospel. For many years I have traversed the wilder- 
nesses of Ceylon at all hours and at all seasons. I 
have met many strange things during my jouraeys, but 
I never recollect having met a missionary. The bishop 
of Colombo is the only man I know who travels out of 
the high road for this purpose ; and he, both in this and 
many other respects, offers an example which few ap- 
pear to follow. 



Religious Schisms, 279 

Nevertheless, although Protestant missionaries are so 
rare in the jungles of the interior, and, if ever there, 
no vestige ever remains of such a visit, still, in spots 
where it might be least expected, may be seen the hum- 
ble mud hut, surmounted by a cross, the certain trace 
of some persevering priest of the Roman faith. These 
men display an untiring zeal, and no point is too re- 
mote for their good offices. Probably they are not so 
comfortable in their quarters in the towns as the Prot- 
estant missionaries, and thus they have less hesitation 
in leaving home. 

The few converts that have been made are chiefly 
Roman Catholics, as among the confusion arising from 
our multitudinous sects and schisms the native is natu- 
rally bewildered. What with High Church, Low 
Church, Baptists, Wesleyans, Presbyterians, etc., etc., 
etc., the ignorant native is perfectly aghast at the variety 
of choice. 

With the members of our Church in such a dislo- 
cated state, progression cannot be expected by simple 
attemps at conversion ; even were the natives willing 
to embrace the true faith, they would have great diffi- 
culty in finding it amidst the crowd of adverse opinions. 
Without probing more deeply into these social wounds, 
I must take leave of the missionary labors in Ceylon, 
trusting that ere long the eyes of the government will 
be fixed upon the true light to guide the prosperity of 
the island by framing an ordinance for the liberal edu- 
cation of the people. 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE PEARL FISHERY — DESOLATION OF THE COAST— HARBOR 
OF TRINCOMALEE — FATAL ATTACK BY A SHARK — FERO- 
CIOUS CROCODILES — SALT MONOPOLY — SALT LAKES — 
METHOD OF COLLECTION — NEGLECT OF CEYLON HIDES — 
FISH AND FISHING — PRIMITIVE TACKLE — OYSTER AND 
PENKNIVES — A NIGHT BIVOUAC FOR A NOVICE — NO 
DINNER,* BUT A GOOD FIRE — WILD YAMS AND CONSE- 
QUENCES — THE ELEPHANTS' DUEL — A HUNTING HERMI- 
TAGE — BLUEBEARD'S LAST HUNT — THE LEOPARD — BLUE- 
BEARD'S DEATH — LEOPARD SHOT. 

WHILE fresh from the subject of government mis- 
management, let us turn our eyes in the direc- 
tion of one of those natural resources of wealth for 
which Ceylon has ever been renowned — the " pearl 
fishery." This was the goose which laid the golden 
^SS-> ^"^ Sii' W* Horton, when governor of Ceylon, 
was the man who killed the goose. 

Here was another fatal instance of the effects of a 
five years' term of governorship. 

It was the last year of his term, and he wished to 
prove to the Colonial Office that "his talent" had not 
been laid up in a napkin, but that he had left the colony 
with an excess of income over expenditure. To obtain 
this income he fished up all the oysters, ruined the fishery 
280 



The Pea?' I Fishery. 281 

in consequence ; and from that day to the present time 
it has been unproductive. 

This is a serious loss of income to the colony, and 
great doubts are entertained as to the probability of the 
oyster-banks ever recovering their fertility. 

Nothing can exceed the desolation of the coast in the 
neighborhood of the pearl-banks. For many miles the 
shore is a barren waste of low sandy ground, covered 
for the most part with scrubby, thorny jungle, diversi- 
fied by glades of stunted herbage. Not a hill is to be 
seen as far as the eye can reach. The tracks of all 
kind of game abound on the sandy path, with occa- 
sionally those of a naked foot, but seldom does a shoe 
imprint its civilized mark upon these lonely shores. 

The whole of this district is one of the best in Ceylon 
for deer-shooting, which is a proof of its want of in- 
habitants. This has always been the case, even in the 
prosperous days of the pearl fishery. So utterly worth- 
less is the soil, that it remains in a state of nature, and 
its distance from Colombo (one hundred and fifty miles) 
keeps it in entire seclusion. 

It is a difficult to conceive that any source of wealth 
should exist in such a locality. When standing, on the 
parched sand, with the burning sun shining in pitiless 
might upon all^ around, the meagre grass burnt to a 
mere straw,, the tangled bushes denuded of all verdure 
save a few shriveled leaves, the very insects seeking 
shelter from the rays, there is not a tree to throw a 
shadow, but a dancing haze of molten air hovers upon 
the ground, and the sea like a mirror reflects a glare, 
which makes the heat intolerable. And yet beneath 
the wave on this wild and desolate spot glitter those 
baubles that minister to man's vanity ; and, as though 
24* 



282 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon. 

in mockery of such pursuits, I have seen the bleached 
skulls of bygone pearl-seekers lying upon the sand, 
where they have rotted in view of the coveted treasures. 

There is an appearance of ruin connected with every- 
thing in the neighborhood. Even in the good old times 
this coast was simply visited during the period for fish- 
ing. Temporary huts were erected for thousands of 
natives, who thronged to Ceylon from all parts of the 
East for the fascinating speculations of the pearl fishery. 
No sooner was the season over than every individual 
disappeared ; the wind swept away the huts of sticks 
and leaves ; and the only vestiges remaining of the re- 
cent population were the government stores and house 
at Arripo, like the bones of the carcase after the vul- 
tures had feasted and departed. All relapsed at once 
into its usual state of desolation. 

The government house was at one time a building 
of some little pretension, and from its style it bore the 
name of the " Doric." It is now, like everything else, 
in a state of lamentable decay. The honeycombed 
eighteen-pounder, which was the signal gun of former 
years, is choked with drifting sand, and the air of mis- 
ery about the place is indescribable. 

Now that the diving helmet has rendered subaqueous 
discoveries so easy, I am surprised that a government 
survey has not been made of the whole north-west coast 
of Ceylon. It seems reasonable to suppose that the 
pearl oyster should inhabit depths which excluded the 
simple diver of former days, and that our modern im- 
provements might discover treasures in the neighbor- 
hood of the old pearl-beds of which we are now in 
Ignorance. The best divers, without doubt, could 
never much exceed a minute in submersion. I believe 



Harbor of Trincomalee, 283 

the accounts of their performances generally to have 
been much exaggerated. At all events, those of the 
present day do not profess to remain under water much 
more than a minute. 

The accounts of Ceylon pearl fisheries are so com- 
mon in every child's book that I do not attempt to de- 
scribe the system in detail. Like all lotteries, there are 
few prizes to the proportion of blanks. 

The whole of this coast is rich in the biche de mer^ 
more commonly called the sea-slug. This is a disgust- 
ing species of mollusca, which grows to a large size, 
being commonly about a foot in length and three or 
four inches in diameter. The capture and preparation 
of these creatures is confined exclusively to the Chinese, 
who dry them in the sun until they shrink to the size 
of a large sausage and harden to the consistency of 
horn ; they are then exported to China for making 
soups. No doubt they are more strengthening than 
agreeable ; but I imagine that our common garden slug 
would be an excellent substitute to any one desirous of 
an experiment, as it exactly resembles its nautical 
representative in color and appearance. Trincomalee 
is the great depot for this trade, which is carried on to 
a large extent, together with that of sharks* fins, the 
latter being used by the Chinese for the same purpose 
as the biche de mer. Trincomalee affords many facili- 
ties for this trade, as the slugs are found in large 
quantities on the spot, and the finest harbor of the East 
is alive with sharks. Few things surpass the tropical 
beauty of this harbor ; lying completely land-locked, it 
seems like a glassy lake surrounded by hills covered 
with the waving foliage of groves of cocoa-nut trees 
and palms of great variety. The white bungalows. 



284 Eight 2'ears' Wanderings i?i Ceylon. 

with their red-tiled roofs, are dotted about along the 
shore, and two or three men-of-war are usually resting 
at their ease in this calm retreat. So deep is the water 
that the harbor forms a perfect dock, as the largest 
vessel can He so close to the shore that her yards over- 
hang it, which enables stores and cargo to be shipped 
with great facility. 

The fort stands upon a projecting point of land, 
which rises to about seventy feet above the level of the 
galle Jace (the race-course) which faces it. Thus it 
commands the land approach across this flat plain on 
one side and the sea on the other. This same fort is 
one of the hottest corners of Ceylon, and forms a de- 
sirable residence for those who delight in a temj^erature 
of from 90° to 104° in the shade. Bathing is the great 
enjoyment, but the pleasure in such a country is 
destroyed by the knowledge that sharks are looking 
out for you in the sea, and crocodiles in the rivers and 
tanks ; thus a man is nothing more than an exciting 
live-bait when he once quits teiTa firma. Accidents 
necessarily must happen, but they are not so frequent 
as persons would suppose from the great number of 
carnivorous monsters that exist. Still, I am convinced 
that a white man would run greater risk than a black ; 
he is a more enticing bait, being bright and easily dis- 
tinguished in the water. Thus in places where the 
natives are in the habit of bathing with impunity it 
would be most dangerous for a white man to enter. 

There was a lamentable instance of this some few 
years ago at Trincomalee. In a sheltered nook among 
the rocks below the fort, where the natives were always 
ir. the habit of bathing, a party of soldiers of the regi- 
ment then in garrison went down one sultrv afternoon 



Fatal Attack hy a Shark, 285 

for a swim. It was a lovely spot for bathing ; the water 
was blue, clear and calm, as the reef that stretched far 
out to sea served as a breakwater to the heavy surf, and 
preserved the inner water as smooth as a lake. Here 
were a fine lot of English soldiers stripped to bathe ; 
and although the ruddy hue of British health had long 
since departed in the languid climate of the East, never- 
theless their spirits were as high as those of English- 
men usually are, no matter where or under what cir- 
cumstances. However, one after the other took a run, 
and then a " header" off the rocks into the deep blue 
water beneath. In the long line of bathers was a fine 
lad of fifteen, the son of one of the sergeants of the 
regiment; and with the emulation of his age he ranked 
himself among the men, and on arriving at the edge he 
plunged head-foremost into the water and disappeared. 
A crowd of men were on the margin watching the 
bathing ; the boy rose to the surface within a few feet 
of them, but as he shook the water from his hair, a 
cloudy shadow seemed to rise from the deep beneath 
him, and in another moment the distinct outline of a 
large shark was visible as his white belly flashed below. 
At the same instant there was a scream of despair ; the 
water was crimsoned, and a bloody foam rose to the 
surface — the boy was gone ! Before the first shock of 
horror was well felt by those around, a gallant fellow 
of the same regiment shot head first into the bloody 
spot, and presently reappeared from his devoted 
plunge, bearing in his arms one-half of the poor boy. 
The body was bitten off at the waist, and the lower 
portion was the prize of the ground shark. 

For several days the soldiers were busily employed 
in fishing for this monster, while the distracted mother 



286 ^ight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon* 

sat in the burning sun, watching in heart-broketl eager- 
ness, in the hope of recovering some trace of her lost 
son. This, however, was not to be ; the shark was 
never seen again. 

There is as much difference in the characters of 
sharks as among other animals or men. Some are 
timid and sluggish, moving as though too lazy to seek 
their food ; and there is little doubt that such would 
never attack man. Others, on the contrary, dash 
through the water as a pike would seize its prey, and 
refuse or fear nothing. There is likewise a striking 
distinction in the habits of crocodiles ; those that in- 
habit rivers being far more destructive and fearless than 
those that infest the tanks. The natives hold the former 
in great terror, while with the latter they run risks which 
are sometimes fatal. I recollect a large river in the 
south-east of Ceylon, which so abounds with ferocious 
crocodiles that the natives would not enter the water in 
depths above the knees, and even this they objected to, 
unless necessity compelled them to cross the river. I was 
encamped on the banks for some little time, and the 
natives took the trouble to warn me especially not to 
enter ; and, as proof of the danger, they showed me a 
spot where three men had been devoured in the course 
of one year, all three of whom are supposed to have 
ministered to the appetite of the same crocodile. 

Few reptiles are more disgusting in appearance than 
these brutes ; but, nevertheless, their utility counterbal- 
ances their bad qualities, as the}^ cleanse the water from 
all impurities. So numerous are they that their heads 
may be seen in fives and tens together, floating at the 
top of the water like rough corks ; and at about five 
P. M. they bask on the shore close to the margin of the 



Crocodiles. 287 

water, ready to scuttle in on the shortest notice. They 
are then particularly on the alert, and it is a most diffi- 
cult thing to stalk them, so as to get near enough to 
make a certain shot. This is not bad amusement when 
no other sport can be had. Around the margin of a 
lake, in a large plain far in the distance, may be seen a 
distinct line upon the short grass like the fallen trunk 
of a tree. As there are no trees at hand, this must 
necessarily be a crocodile. Seldom can the best hand 
at stalking then get within eighty yards of him before 
he lifts his scaly head, and, listening for a second, 
plunges off the bank. 

I have been contradicted in stating that a ball will 
penetrate their scales. It is absurd, however, to hold 
the opinion that the scales will turn a ball — that is to 
Siiy, stop the ball (as we know that a common twig 
will of course turn it from its direction, if struck 
obliquely). 

The scales of a crocodile are formed of bone exquis- 
ite4y jointed together like the sections of a skull ; these 
are covered externally with a horny skin, forming, no 
doubt, an excellent defensive armor, about an inch in 
thickness ; but the idea of their being impenetrable to 
a ball, if struck fair, is a great fallacy. People may 
perhaps complain because a pea rifle with a mere pinch 
of powder may be inefficient, but a common No. 16 
fowling-piece, with two drachms of powder, will pene- 
trate any crocodile that was ever hatched. 

Among the most harmless kinds are those which 
inhabit the salt lakes in the south of Ceylon. I have 
never heard of an accident in these places, although 
hundreds of persons are employed annually in collect- 
ing salt from the bottom. 



388 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon. 

These natural reservoirs are of great extent, some of 
them being many miles in circumference. Those most 
productive are about four miles round, and yield a sup- 
ply in August, duriilg the height of the dry season. 

Salt in Ceylon is a government monopxy ; and it has 
hitherto been the narrow policy of the government to 
keep up an immense price upon this necessary of life, 
when the resources of the country could produce any 
amount required for the island consumption. 

These are now all but neglected, and the government 
simply gathers the salt as the wild pig feeds upon the 
fruit which falls from the tree in its season. 

The government price of salt is now about three 
shillings per bushel. This is very impure, being mixed 
with much dirt and sand. The revenue obtained by 
the salt monopoly is about forty thousand pounds per 
annum, two-thirds of which is an unfair burden upon 
the population, as the price, according to the supply 
obtainable, should never exceed one shilling per bushel. 

Let us consider the capabilities of the locality from 
which it is collected. 

The lakes are some five or six in number, situated 
within half a mile of the sea, separated only by a high 
bank of drift sand, covered for the most part with the 
low jungle which clothes the surrounding country. 
Flat plains of a sandy nature form the margins of the 
lakes. The little town of Hambantotte, with a good 
harbor for small craft, is about twenty miles distant, to 
which there is a good cart road. 

The water of these lakes is a perfect brine. In the 
dry season the evaporation, of course, increases the 
strength until the water can no longer retain the amount 
ol salt in solution ; it therefore precipitates and crystal- 



Salt Lakes. 289 

iizes at the bottom in various degrees of thickness, ac- 
cording to the strength of the brine. 

Thus, as the water recedes from the banks by evapo- 
ration and the lake decreases in size, it leaves a beach, 
not of shingles, but of pure salt in crystallized cubes to 
the depth of several inches, and sometimes to half a 
foot or more. The bottom of the lake is equally coated 
ivith this thick deposit. 

These lakes are protected by watchers, who live 
upon the margin throughout the year. Were it not 
for this precaution, immense quantities of salt would be 
stolen. In the month of August the weather is gen- 
erally most favorable for the collection, at which time 
the assistant agent for the district usually gives a few 
days' superintendence. 

The salt upon the shore being first collected, the na- 
tives wade into the lake and gather the deposit from 
the bottom, which they bring to the shore in baskets ; 
it is then made up into vast piles, which are subse- 
quently thatched over with cajans (the plaited leaf of 
the cocoa-nut). In this state it remains until an op- 
portunity offers for carting it to the government salt- 
stores. 

This must strike the reader as being a rude method 
of collecting what Nature so liberally produces. The 
waste is necessarily enormous, as the natives cannot 
gather the salt at a greater depth than three feet ; 
hence the greater proportion of the annual produce of 
the lake remains ungathered. The supply at present 
afforded might be trebled with very little trouble or 
expense. 

If a stick is inserted in the mud, so that one end 
stands above water, the salt crystallizes upon it in a 
25 T 



290 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon, 

large lump of several pounds' weight. This is of a 
better quality than that which is gathered from the bot- 
tom, being free from sand or other impurities. Innu- 
merable samples of this may be seen upon the stakes 
which the natives have stuck in the bottom to mark the 
line of their day's work. These, not being removed, 
amass a collection of salt as described. 

Were the government anxious to increase the pro- 
duce of these natural reservoirs, nothing could be more 
simple than to plant the whole lake with rows of stakes. 
The wood is on the spot, and the rate of labor sixpence 
a day per man ; thus it might be accomplished for a 
comparatively small amount. 

This would not only increase the produce to an im 
mense degree, but it would also improve the purity of 
the collection, and would render facilities for gathering 
the crop by means of boats, and thus obviate the neces- 
sity of entering the water ; at present the suffering 
caused by the latter process is a great drawback to the 
supply of labor. So powerful is the brine that the legs 
and feet become excoriated after two or three days' em- 
ployment, and the natives have accordingly a great 
aversion to the occupation. 

Nothing could be easier than gathering the crop by 
the method proposed. Boats would paddle along be- 
tween the rows of stakes, while each stick would be 
pulled up and the salt disengaged by a single blow ; 
the stick would then be replaced in its position until 
the following season. 

Nevertheless, although so many specimens exist of 
this accumulation, the method which was adopted b}' 
the savage is still followed by the soi~disa7it civilized 
man. 



Method of Collection — Detnand, 291 

In former days, when millions occupied Ceylon, the 
demand for salt must doubtless have been in proportion, 
and the lakes which are now so neglected must have 
been taxed to their utmost resources. There can be 
little doubt that the barbarians of those times had some 
more civilized method of increasing the production than 
the enlightened race of the present day. 

The productive salt lakes are confined entirely to the 
south of Ceylon. Lakes and estuaries of sea-water 
abound all round the island, but these are only com- 
monly salt, and do not yield. The north and the east 
coasts are therefore supplied by artificial salt-pans. 
These are simple enclosed levels on the beach, into 
which the sea-water is admitted, and then allowed to 
evaporate by the heat of the sun. The salt of course 
remains at the bottom. More water is then admitted, 
and again evaporated; and this process continues until 
the thickness of the salt at the bottom allows of its 
being collected. 

This simple plan might be adopted with great success 
with the powerful brine of the salt lakes, which might 
be pumped from its present lower level into dry reser- 
voirs for evaporation. 

The policy of the government, however, does not 
tend to the increase of any production. It is preferred 
to keep up the high rate of salt by a limited supply, 
which meets with immediate demand, rather than to 
increase the supply for the public benefit at a reduced 
rate. This is a mistaken mode of reasoning. At the 
present high price the consumption of salt is extremely 
small, as its use is restricted to absolute necessaries. 
On the other hand, were the supply increased at one 
half the present rate, the consumption would augment 



292 Eight Tears' Wanderhtgs, in Ceylon, 

in a far greater proportion, as salt would then be used 
for a variety of purposes which at the present cost is 
impossible, viz. for the purpose of cattle-feeding, man- 
ures, etc., etc. In addition to^ this, it would vastly af- 
fect the price of salt fish (the staple article of native 
consumption), and by the reduction in the cost of this 
commodity there would be a corresponding extension 
in the trade. 

The hundreds of thousands of hides which are now 
thrown aside to rot uncared for would then be preserved 
and exported, which at the present rate of salt is im- 
possible. The skins of buffaloes, oxen, deer, swine, 
all valuable in other parts of the world, in Ceylon are 
valueless. The wild buffalo is not even skinned when 
shot ; he is simply opened for his marrow-bones, his 
tail is cut off for soup, his brains taken out for cotelettes, 
and his tongue salted. The beast himself, hide and all, 
is left as food for the jackal. The wandering native 
picks up his horns, which find their way to the English 
market; but the "hide," the only really valuable por- 
tion, is neglected. 

Within a short distance of the salt lakes, buffaloes, 
boars, and in fact all kind of animals abound, and I have 
no doubt that if it were once proved to the natives that 
the hides could be made remunerative, they would soon 
learn the method of preparation. 

Some persons have an idea that a native will not take 
the trouble to do anything that would turn a penny ; in 
this I do not agree. Certainly a native has not sufficient 
courage for a speculation which involves the risk of 
loss ; but provided he is safe in that respect, he will 
take unbounded trouble for his own benefit, not valuing 
his time or labor in pursuit of his object. 



Commercial Value of the Elephant. ' 293 

I have noticed a great change in the native habits 
along the southern coast, which exempHfies this, since 
the steamers have touched regularly at Galle. 

Some years ago, elephants, buffaloes, etc., w^hen shot 
by sportsmen, remained untouched except by the wild 
beast ; but now within one hundred and fifty miles of 
Galle every buffalo horn is collected, and even the ele- 
phants' grinders are extracted from the skulls, and 
brought into market. 

An elephant's grinder averages seven pounds in 
weight, and is not worth more than from a penny to 
three half-pence a pound ; nevertheless they are now 
brought to Galle in large quantities to be made into 
knife-handles and sundry ornaments, to tempt the pas- 
sengers of the various steamers. If the native takes 
this trouble for so small a recompense, there is every 
reason to suppose that the hides now wasted would be 
brought into market and form a valuable export, were 
salt at such a rate as would admit of their preparation. 

The whole of the southern coast, especially in the 
neighborhood of the salt lakes, abounds with fish. 
These are at present nearly undisturbed ; but I have 
ittae doubt that a reduction In the price of salt would 
soon call forth the energies of the Moormen, who would 
establish fisheries in the immediate neighborhood. 
This would be of great importance to the interior of 
the country, as a road has been made within the last 
few years direct from this locality to Badulla, distant 
about eighty miles, and situated in the very heart of 
the most populous district of Ceylon. This road, which 
forms a direct line of communication from the port of 
Hambantotte to Newera Ellla, Is now much used for 
the transport of coffee from the Badulla estates, to 



294 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon. 

which a cheap supply of salt and fish would be a grea< 
desideratum. 

The native is a clever fellow at fishing. Every little 
boy of ten years old along the coast is an adept in 
throwing the casting net; and I have often watched 
with amusement the scientific manner in which some 
of these little fellows handle a fine fish on a single 
line ; Isaak Walton would have been proud of such 
pupils. 

There is nothing like necessity for sharpening a 
man's intellect, and the natives of the coast being a 
class of ichthyophagi, it may be imagined that they 
excel in all the methods of capturing their favorite 
food. 

The sea, the rivers, and in fact every pool, teem with 
fish of excellent quality, from the smallest to the largest 
kind, not forgetting the most delicious prawns and 
crabs. Turtle likewise abound, and are to be caught 
in great numbers in their season. 

Notwithstanding the immense amount of fish in the 
various rivers, there is no idea of fishing as a sport 
among the European population of Ceylon. This I 
cannot account for, unless from the fear of fever, which 
might be caught with more certainty than fish by 
standing up to the knees in water under a burning sun. 
Nevertheless, I have indulged in this every now and 
then, when out on a jungle trip, although I have nevef 
started from home with such an intention. Seeing 
some fine big fellows swimming about in a deep hole 
is a great temptation, especially when you know thej 
are gray mullet, and the chef de cuisine is short of thd 
wherewithal for dinner. 

This is not unfrequently the case during a jungk 



Prhnitive Tackle. 295 

trip ; and the tent being pitched^ in the shade of a noble 
forest on the steep banks of a broad river, thoughts of 
fishing naturally intrude themselves. 

The rivers in the dry season are so exhausted that a 
simple bed of broad dry sand remains, while a small 
stream winds along the bottom, merely a few inches 
deep, now no more than a few feet in width, now rip- 
pling over a few opposing rocks, while the natural bed 
extends its dry sand for many yards on either side. At 
every bend in the river there is of course a deep hole 
close to the bank ; these holes remain full of water, as 
the little stream continues to flow through them ; and 
the water, in its entrance and exit being too shallow for 
a large fish, all the finny monsters of the river are com- 
pelled to imprison themselves in the depths of these 
holes. Here the crocodiles have fine feeding, as they 
live in the same place. 

With a good rod and tackle there would be capital 
sport in these places, as some of the fish run ten and 
twelve pounds weight ; but I have never been well pro- 
vided, and, while staring at the coveted fish from the 
bank, I have had no means of catching them, except 
by the most primitive methods. 

Then I have cut a stick for a rod, and made a line 
with some hairs from my horse's tail, with a pin for a 
hook, baited with a shrimp, and the fishing has com- 
menced. 

Fish and fruit are the most enjoyable articles of food 
in a tropical country, and in the former Ceylon is rich. 
The seir fish Is little inferior to salmon, and were the 
flesh a similar color, it might sometimes form a substi- 
tute. Soles and whiting remind us of Old England, 
but a host of bright red, blue, green, yellow, and extra- 



296 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon, 

ordinary-looking creatures in the same net dispel all 
ideas of English fishing. 

Oysters there are likewise in Ceylon ; but here, alas I 
there is a sad falling off in the comparison with our 
well-remembered " native." Instead of the neat little 
shell of the English oyster, the Ceylon species is a 
shapeless, twisted, knotty, rocky-looking creature, such 
as a legitimate oyster would be in a fit of spasms or 
convulsions. In fact, there is no vestige of the true 
breed about it, and the want of flavor equals its miser- 
able exterior. 

There are few positions more tantalizing to a hungry 
man than that of being surrounded by oysters without 
a knife. It is an obstinate and perverse wretch that 
will not accommodate itself to man's appetite, and it 
requires a forcible attack to vanquish it ; so that every 
oyster eaten is an individual murder, in which the cold 
steel has been plunged into its vitals, and the animal 
finds itself swallowed before it has quite made up its 
mind that it has been opened. But take away the 
knife, and see how vain is the attempt to force the 
stronghold. How utterly useless is the oyster ! You 
may turn it over and over, and look for a weak place, 
but there is no admittance ; you may knock it with a 
stone, but the knock will be unanswered. How would 
you open such a creature without a knife ? 

This was one of the many things that had never 
occurred to me until one day when I found myself 
with some three or four friends and a few boatmen on 
a little island, or rather a rock, about a mile from the 
shore. This rock was rich in the spasmodic kind of 
oyster, large detached masses of which lay just beneath 
the water in lumps of some hundredweight each, which 



Oysters and Penknives. 297 

had been formed by the oysters clustering and adhering 
together. It so happened that our party were unani- 
mous in the love of these creatures, and we accordingly 
exerted ourselves to roll out of the water a large mass ; 
which having accomplished, we discovered to our dis- 
may that nothing but one penknife was possessed 
among us. This we knew was a useless weapon 
against such armor ; however, in our endeavors to per- 
form impossibilities, we tickled the oyster and broke 
the knife. After gazing for some time in blank despair 
at our useless prize, a bright thought struck one of the 
party, and drawing his ramrod he began to screw it 
into the weakest part of an oyster ; this, however, was 
proof, and the ramrod broke. 

Stupid enough it may appear, but it was full a quarter 
of an hour before any of us thought of a successful plan 
of attack. I noticed a lot of drift timber scattered upon 
the island, and then the right idea was hit. We gath- 
ered the wood, which was bleached and dry, and we 
piled it a few feet to windward of the mass of oysters. 
Striking a light with a cap and some powder, we lit 
the pile. It blazed and the wind blew the heat strong 
upon the oysters, which accordingly began to squeak 
and hiss, until one by one they gave up the ghost, and, 
opening their shells, exposed their delightfully roasted 
bodies, which were eaten forthwith. 

How very absurd and uninteresting this is ! but 
nevertheless it is one of those trifling incidents which 
sharpen the imagination when you depend upon your 
own resources. 

It is astonishing how perfectly helpless some people 
are. if taken from the artificial existence of every-day 
life and thrown entirely upon themselves. One man 



298 Might Tears* Wanderings i^i Ceylon 

would be in superlative misery while another would 
enjoy the responsibility, and delight in the fertility of 
his own invention in accommodating himself to circum- 
stances. A person can scarcely credit the unfortunate 
number of articles necessary for his daily and nightly 
comfort, until he is deprived of them. To realize this, 
lose yourself, good reader, wander off a great distance 
from everywhere, and be benighted in a wild country, 
with nothing but your rifle and hunting-knife. You 
will then find 3'ourself dinnerless, supperless, houseless, 
comfortless, sleepless, cold and miserable, if you do not 
know how to manage for yourself. You will miss 
your dinner sadly if you are not accustomed to fast for 
twenty-four hours. You will also miss your bed de- 
cidedly, and your toothbrush in the morning ; but if, 
on the other hand, you are of the right stamp, it is as- 
tonishing how lightly these little troubles will sit on 
you, and how comfortable you will make yourself under 
the circumstances. 

The first thing you will consider is the house. The 
architectural style will of course depend upon the local- 
ity. If the ground is rocky and hilly, be sure to make 
a steep pitch in the bank or the side of a rock form a 
wall, to leeward of which you will lie when your man- 
sion is completed by a few sticks simply inclined from 
the rock and covered with grass. If the country is flat, 
you must cut four forked sticks, and erect a villa after 
this fashion in skeleton-work, which you then cover 
with grass. 

You will then strew the floor with grass or small 
boughs, in lieu of a feather bed, and you will tie up a 
bundle of the same material into a sheaf, which will 



A Night Bivouac for a Novice. 299 

form a capital pillow. If grass and sticks are at hand, 
this will be completed thus far in an hour. 




Then comes the operation of fire-making, which is 
by no means easy ; and as warmth comes next to food, 
and a blaze both scares wild animals and looks cheer- 
ful, I advise some attention to be paid to the fire. 
There must be a good collection of old fallen logs, if 
possible, together with some green wood to prevent 
too rapid a consumption of fuel. But the fire is not 
yet made. 

First tear off a bit of your shirt and rub it with 
moistened gunpowder. Wind this in a thick roll round 
your ramrod just below the point of the screw, with the 
rough torn edge uppermost. Into these numerous folds 
sprinkle a pinch of gunpowder ; then put a cap on the 
point of the screw, and a slight tap with your hunting- 
knife explodes it and ignites the linen. 

Now, fire in its birth requires nursing like a young 
baby, or it will leave you in the lurch. A single spark 
will perhaps burn your haystacks, but when you want 
a fire it seldom will burn, but of sheer obstinacy; 
therefore, take a wisp of dry grass, into which push 
the burning linen and give it a rapid, circular motion 
through the air, which will generally set it in a blaze. 



300 Eight Tears^ Wandermgs in Ceylon, 

Then pile gently upon it the smallest and driest sticks, 
increasing their size as the fire grows till it is all right; 
and you will sit down proudly before your own fire, 
thoroughly confident that you are the first person that 
ever made one properly. 

There is some comfort in that ; and having manufac- 
tured your own house and bed, you will lie down snugly 
and think of dinner till you fall asleep, and the crowing 
of the jungle-cocks will wake you in the morning. 

The happiest hours of my life have been passed in 
this rural solitude. I have started from home with 
nothing but a couple of blankets and the hounds, and, 
with one blanket wrapped round me I have slept be- 
neath a capital tent formed of the other with two 
forked sticks and a horizontal pole — the ends of the 
blanket being secured by heavy stones, thus — 




This is a more comfortable berth than it may appear 
at first sight, especially if one end is stopped up with 
boughs. The ridge-pole being only two feet and a half 
high, renders it necessary to crawl in on all-fours ; but 
this lowness of ceiling has its advantages in not catch- 
ing the wind, and likewise in its warmth. A blanket 
roof, well secured and tightly strained, will keep off 
the heaviest rain for a much longer period than a com- 
mon tent ; but in thoroughly wet weather any woven 
roof is more or less uncomfortable. 



Wild Tarns and Consequences, 301 

I recollect a certain bivouac in the Augora patinas 
for a few days' hunting, when I was suddenly seized 
with a botanical fit in a culinary point of view, and I 
was determined to make the jungle subscribe something 
toward the dinner. To my delight, I discovered some 
plants which, from the appearance of their leaves, I 
knew were a species of wild yam ; they grew in a 
ravine on the swampy soil of a sluggish spring, and 
the ground being loose, I soon grubbed them up and 
found a most satisfactory quantity of yams about the 
size of large potatoes — not bad things for dinner. Ac- 
cordingly, they were soon transferred to the pot. Elk 
steaks and an Irish stew, the latter to be made of elk 
chops, onions and the prized yams ; this was the bill 
of fare expected. But, misericordia I what a change 
came over the yams when boiled ! they turned a beau- 
tiful slate color, and looked like imitations of their 
former selves in lead. 

Their appearance was uncommonly bad, certainly. 
There were three of us to feed upon them, viz., Palli- 
ser, my huntsman Benton and myself. No one wish- 
ing to be first, it was then, I confess, that the thought 
just crossed my mind that Benton should make the 
experiment, but, repenting at the same moment, I pun- 
ished myself by eating a very little one on the spot. 
Benton, who was blessed with a huge appetite, picked 
out a big one. Greedy fellow, to choose the largest! 
but, n^intporte^ it brought its punishment. 

Palliser and I having eaten carefully, were just be- 
ginning to feel uncomfortable, when up jumped Ben- 
ton, holding his throat with both hands, crying, " My 
throat's full of pins. I'm choked." 

" We are poisoned, no doubt of it," said Palliser, in 

26 



302 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 



his turn. " I am choking likewise." "So am 1/ 
There we were all three, with our throats in an extraor- 
dinary state of sudden contraction and inflammation, 
with a burning and pricking sensation, in addition to a 
feeling of swelling and stoppage of the windpipe. 
Having nothing but brandy at hand, we dosed largely 
instanter, and in the course of ten minutes we found 
relief; but Benton, having eaten his large yam, was 
the last to recover. 

There must have been highly poisonous qualities in 
this root, as the quantity eaten was nothing in propor- 
tion to the effects produced. It is well known that 
many roots are poisonous when raw (especially the 
manioc), which become harmless when cooked, as the 
noxious properties consist of a very volatile oil, which 
is thrown off during the process of boiling. These 
wild yams must necessarily be still worse in their raw 
state ; and it struck me, after their effects became 
known, that I had never seen them grubbed up by the 
wild hogs ; this neglect being a sure proof of their un- 
fitness for food. 

In these Augora patinas a curious duel was lately 
fought by a pair of wild bull elephants, both of whom 
were the rarce aves of Ceylon, " tuskers." These two 
bulls had consorted with a herd, and had no doubt 
quarreled about the possession of the females. They 
accordingly fought it out to the death, as a large tusker 
was found recently killed, with his body bored in many 
directions by his j adversary's tusks, the ground in the 
vicinity being trodden down with elephant tracks prov- 
ing the obstinacy of the fight. 

The last time that I was in this locality poor old 
Bluebeard was alive, and had been perfovoiing feats in 



-I^ataltty — The Totapella Plains, 303 

clk-hunting which no dog could surpass. A few weeks 
later and he ran his last elk, and left a sad blank in the 
pack. 

Good and bad luck generally come in turn ; but when 
the latter does pay a visit, it falls rather heavily, especi- 
ally among the hounds. In one year I lost nearly the 
whole pack. Seven died in one week from an attack 
upon the brain, appearing in a form fortunately un- 
known in England. In the same year I lost no les^ 
than four of the best hounds by leopards, in addition 
to a fearful amount of casualties from other causes. 

Shortly after the appearance of the epidemic alluded 
to, I took the hounds to the Totapella Plains for a fort- 
night, for change of air, while their kennel was purified 
and re-whitewashed. 

In these Totapella Plains I had a fixed encampment, 
which, being within nine miles of my house, I could 
visit at any time with the hounds, without the slightest 
preparation. There was an immense number of elk 
in this part of the country ; in fact this was a great 
drawback to the hunting, as two or more were con- 
stantly on foot at the same time, which divided the 
hounds and scattered them in all directions. This made 
hard work of the sport, as this locality is nothing but a 
series of ups and downs. The plains, as they are 
termed, are composed of some hundred grassy hills, of 
about a hundred feet elevation above the river ; these 
rise like half oranges in every direction, while a high 
chain of precipitous mountains walls in one side of 
the view. Forest-covered hills abound in the centre 
and around the skirts of the plains, while a deep river 
winds in a circuitous route between the grassy hills. 

My encampment was well chosen in this romantic 



304 Eight Tears' Wanderings i7i Ceylon. 

spot It was a place where you might live all your 
life without seeing a soul except a wandering bee-hunter, 
or a native sportsman who had ventured up from the 
low country to shoot an elk. 

Surrounded on all sides but one with steep hills, my 
hunting settlement lay snugly protected from the wind 
in a little valley. A small jungle about a hundred 
yards square grew at the base of one of these grassy 
hills, in which, having cleared the underwood for about 
forty yards, I left the larger trees standing, and erected 
my huts under their shelter at the exact base of the 
knoll. This steep rise broke off into an abrupt cliff 
about sixty yards from my tent, against which the river 
had waged constant war, and, turning in an endless 
vortex, had worn a deep hole, before it shot off in a 
rapid torrent from the angle, dashing angril}-^ over the 
rocky masses which had fallen from the overhanging 
cliff, and coming to a sudden rest in a broad deep pool 
within twenty yards of the tent door. 

This was a delicious spot. Being snugly hidden in 
the jungle, there was no sign of my encampment from 
the plain, except the curling blue smoke which rose 
from the little hollow. A plot of grass of some two 
acres formed the bottom of the valley before my habi- 
tation, at the extremity of which the river flowed, 
backed on the opposite side by an abrupt hill covered 
with forest and jungle. 

This being a chilly part of Ceylon, I had thatched 
the walls of my tent, and made a good gridiron bed- 
stead, to keep me from the damp ground, by means of 
forked upright sticks, two horizontal bars and numer- 
ous cross-pieces. This was covered with six inches' 
thickness of grass, strapped down with the bark of a 



Bluebeard''s Last Hunt, 305 

fibrous shrub. My table and bench were formed in the 
same manner, being of course fixtures, but most sub- 
stantial. The kitchen, huts for attendants and kennel 
were close adjoining. I could have lived there all my 
life in fine weather. I wish I was there now with all 
my heart. However, I had sufficient bad luck on my 
last visit to have disgusted most people. Poor Match- 
less, who was as good as her name implied, died of 
inflammation of the lungs ; and I started one morning in 
very low spirits at her loss, hoping to cheer myself up 
by a good hunt. 

It was not long before old Bluebeard's opening note 
was heard high upon the hill-tops ; but, at the same 
time, a portion of the pack had found another elk, 
which, taking an opposite direction, of course divided 
them. Being determined to stick to Bluebeard to the 
last, I made straight through the jungle toward the 
point at which I had heard a portion of the pack join 
him, intending to get upon their track and follow up. 
This I soon did; and after running for some time 
through the jungle, which, being young " nillho," was 
unmistakably crushed by the elk and hounds, I came 
to a capital though newly-made path, as a single ele- 
phant, having been disturbed by the cry of the hounds, 
had started off at full speed ; and the elk and hounds, 
naturally choosing the easiest route through the jungle, 
had kept upon his track. This I was certain of, as the 
elk's print sunk deep in that of the elephant, whose 
dung, lying upon the spot, was perfectly hot. 

I fully expected that the hounds would bring the ele- 
phant to bay, which is never pleasant when you are 
without a gun ; however, they did not, but, sticking to 
their true game, they went straight away toward the 
26* U 



3o6 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon, 

chain of mountains at the end of the plain. The river, 
in making its exit, is checked by abrupt precipices, and 
accordingly makes an angle and then descends a ravine 
toward the low country. 

I felt sure, from the nature of the ground and the 
direction of the run, that the elk would come to bay in 
this ravine ; and, after half an hour's run, I was de- 
lighted, on arriving on the hill above, to hear the bay 
of the hounds in the river far below. 

The jungle was thick and tangled, but it did not take 
long to force my way down the steep mountain side, 
and I neared the spot and heard the splashing in the 
river, as the elk, followed by the hounds, dashed across 
just before I came in view. He had broken his bay ; 
and, presently, I again heard the chorus of voices as he 
once more came to a stand a few hundred paces down 
the river. 

The bamboo was so thick that I could hardly break 
my way through it ; and I was crashing along toward 
the spot, when suddenly the bay ceased, and shortly 
after some of the hounds came hurrying up to me 
regularly scared. Lena, who seldom showed a symptom 
of fear, dashed up to me in a state of great excitement, 
with the deep scores of a leopard's claws on her hind- 
quarters. Only two couple of the hounds followed on 
the elk's track ; the rest were nowhere. 

The elk had doubled back, and I saw old Bluebeard 
leading upon the scent up the bank of the river, fol- 
lowed by three other hounds. 

The surest, although the hardest work, was to get on 
the track and follow up through the jungle. This I 
accordingly did for about a mile, at which distance I 
arrived at a small s^vampy plain in the centre of the 



Death among the Dogs, 307 

jungle. Here, to my surprise, I saw old Bluebeard 
sitting up and looking faint, covered with blood, with 
no other dog within view. The truth was soon known 
upon examination. No less than five holes were cut 
in his throat by a leopard's claws ; and by the violent 
manner in which the poor dog strained and choked, I 
felt sure that the windpipe was injured. There was no 
doubt that he had received the stroke at the same time 
that Lena was wounded beneath the rocky mountain 
when the elk was at bay ; and nevertheless, the staunch 
old dog had persevered in the chase till the difficulty of 
breathing brought him to a standstill. I bathed the 
wounds, but I knew it was his last day, poor old 
fellow ! 

I sounded the bugle for a few minutes, and having 
collected some of the scattered pack I returned to the 
tent, leading the wounded dog, whose breathing rapidly 
became more difficult. I lost no time in fomenting 
and poulticing the part, but the swelling had com- 
menced to such an extent that there was little hope of 
recovery. 

This was a dark day for the pack. Benton returned 
in the afternoon from a search for the missing hounds, 
and, as he descended the deep hill-side on approaching 
the tent, I saw that he and a native were carrying 
something slung upon a pole. At first I thought it 
was an elk's head, which the missing hounds might 
have run to bay, but on his arrival the worst was soon 
known. 

It was poor Leopold, one of my best dogs. He was 
all but dead, with hopeless wounds in his throat and 
belly. He had been struck by a leopard within a few 
yards of Benton's side, and, with his usual pluck, the 



3o8 Eight Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

dog turned upon the leopard in spite of his wounds, 
when the cowardly brute, seeing the man, turned and 
fled. 

That night Leopold died. The next morning Blue- 
beard was so bad that I returned home with him slung 
in a litter between two men. Poor fellow ! he never 
lived to reach his comfortable kennel, but died in the 
litter within a mile of home. I had him buried by the 
side of old Smut, and there are no truer dogs on the 
earth than the two that there lie together. 

A very few weeks after Bluebeard's death, however, 
I got a taste of revenge out of one of the race. 

Palliser and I were out shooting, and we found a 
single bull elephant asleep in the dry bed of a stream ; 
we were stealing quietly up to him, when his guardian 
spirit whispered something in his ear, and up he jumped. 
However, we polished him off, and having reloaded, 
we passed on. 

The country consisted of low, thorny jungle and small 
sandy plains of short turf, and we were just entering 
one of these open spots within a quarter of a mile of 
of the dead elephant, when we observed a splendid 
leopard crouching at the far end of the glade. He was 
about ninety paces from us, lying broadside on, with 
his head turned to the opposite direction, evidently 
looking out for game. His crest was bristled up with 
excitement, and he formed a perfect picture of beauty 
both in color and attitude. 

Halting our gun-bearers, we stalked him within sixty 

yards : he looked quickly round, and his large hazel 

eyes shone full upon us, as the two rifles made one re,- 

port, and his white belly lay stretched upon the ground. 

They were both clean shots : Palliser had aimed at 



Leopard Shot, 309 

his head, and had cut off one ear and laid the skin open 
at the back of the neck. My ball had smashed both 
shoulders, but life was not fairly extinct. We therefore 
strangled him with my necktie, as I did not wish to 
spoil his hide by any further wound. This was a 
pleasing sacrifice to the " manes" of old Bluebeard. 

E. Palliser had at one time the luck to have a fair 
turn up with a leopard with the dogs and hunting- 
knife. At that time he kept a pack at Dimboola, about 
nine miles from my house. Old Bluebeard belonged 
to him, and he had a fine dog named " Pirate," who 
was the heaviest and best of his seizers. 

He was out hunting with two or three friends, when 
suddenly a leopard sprang from the jungle at one of 
the smaller hounds as they were passing quietly along 
a forest path. Halloaing the pack on upon the instant, 
every dog gave chase, and a short run brought him to 
bay in the usual place of refuge, the boughs of a tree. 

However, it so happened that there was a good sup- 
ply of large sharp stones upon the soil, and with these 
the whole party kept up a spirited bombardment, until 
at length one lucky shot hit him on the head, and at 
the same moment he fell or jumped into the middle of 
the pack. Here Pirate came to the front in grand 
style and collared him, while the whole pack backed 
him up without an exception. 

There was a glorious struggle of course, which was 
terminated by the long arm of our friend Palliser, who 
slipped the hunting-knife into him and became a win- 
ner. This is the only instance that I know of a leop« 
ard being run into and killed with hounds and a knife. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

WILD DENIZENS OF FOREST AND LAKE — DESTROYERS OF REP- 
TILES — THE TREE DUCK — THE MYSTERIES OF NIGHT IN 
THE FOREST — THE DEVIL-BIRD — THE IGUANODON IN MIN- 
IATURE — OUTRIGGER CANOES — THE LAST GLIMPSE OF 
CEYLON — A GLANCE AT OLD TIMES. 

ONE of the most interesting objects to a tourist in 
Ceylon is a secluded lake or tank in those jungle 
districts which are seldom disturbed by the white man. 
There is something peculiarly striking in the wonderful 
number of living creatures which exist upon the pro- 
ductions of the water. Birds of infinite variety and 
countless numbers — fish in myriads — reptiles and croco- 
diles — animals that feed upon the luxuriant vegetation 
of the shores — insects which sparkle in the sunshine in 
every gaudy hue ; all these congregate in the neighbor- 
hood of these remote solitudes, and people the lakes 
with an incalculable host of living beings. 

In such a scene there is scope for much delightful 
study of the habits and natures of wild animals, where 
they can be seen enjoying their freedom unrestrained 
by the fear of man. 

Often have I passed a quiet hour on a calm evening 
when the sun has sunk low on the horizon, and the 
cool breeze has stolen across the water, refreshing all 

310 



IVild Denizens of Poresi and Lake. ^li 

animal life. Here, concealed beneath the shade of 
some large tree, I have watched the masses of living 
things quite unconscious of such scrutiny. In one spot 
the tiny squirrel nibbling the buds on a giant limb of 
the tree above me, while on the opposite shore a ma- 
jestic bull elephant has commenced his evening bath, 
showering the water above his head and trumpeting 
his loud call to the distant herd. Far away in the 
dense jungles the ringing sound is heard, as the answer- 
ing females return the salute and slowly approach the 
place of rendezvous. One by one their dark forms 
emerge from the thorny coverts and loom large upon 
the green but distant shores, and they increase their 
pace when they view the coveted water, and belly-deep 
enjoy their evening draught. 

The graceful axis in dense herds quit the screening 
jungle and also seek the plain. The short, shrill barks 
of answering bucks sound clearly across the surface of 
the lake, and indistinct specks begin to appear on the 
edge of the more distant forests. Now black patches 
are dotted about the plain ; now larger objects, some 
single and some in herds, make toward the water. The 
telescope distinguishes the vast herds of hogs busy in 
upturning the soil in search of roots, and the ungainly 
buffaloes, some in herds and others single bulls, all 
gathering at the hour of sunset toward the water. 
Peacocks spread their gaudy plumage to the cool eve- 
ning air as they strut over the green plain ; the giant 
crane stands statue-like among the shallows ; the peli- 
can floats like a ball of snow upon the dark water ; 
and ducks and waterfowl of all kinds splash, and dive, 
and scream in a confused noise, the volume of which 
explains their countless numbers. 



312 Might Tears' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

Foremost among the waterfowl for beauty is the 
water-pheasant. He is generally seen standing upon 
the broad leaf of a lotus, pecking at the ripe seeds and 
continually uttering his plaintive cry, like the very dis- 
tant note of a hound. This bird is most beautifully 
formed, and his peculiarity of color is well adapted to 
his shape. He is something like a cock pheasant in 
build and mode of carriage, but he does not exceed the 
size of a pigeon. His color is white, with a fine brown 
tinsel glittering head and long tail ; the wings of the 
cock bird are likewise ornamented with similar brown 
tinsel feathers. These birds are delicious eating, but I 
seldom fire at them, as they are generally among the 
lotus plants in such deep water that I dare not venture 
to get them on account of crocodiles. The lotus seeds, 
which they devour greedily, are a very good substitute 
for filberts, and are slightly narcotic. 

The endless variety of the crane is very interesting upon 
these lonely shores. From the giant crane, who stands 
nearly six feet high, down to the smallest species of 
paddy bird, there is a numerous gradation. Among 
these the gaunt adjutant stands conspicuous as he stalks 
with measured steps through the high rushes, now 
plunging his immense bill into the tangled sedges, then 
triumphantly throwing back his head with a large snake 
writhing helplessly in his horny beak ; open fly the 
shear-like hinges of his bill — one or two sharp jerks 
and down goes one half of an incredibly large snake ; 
another jerk and a convulsive struggle of the snake ; 
one more jerk — snap, snap goes the bill and the snake 
has disappeared, while the adjutant again stalks quietly 
on, as though nothing had happened. Down goes his 
bill, presently, with a sudden start, and again his head 



Game Birds. 313 

is thrown back ; but this time it is the work of a mo« 
, ment, as it is only an iguana, which not being above 
eighteen inches long, is easy swallowing. 

A great number of the crane species are destroyers 
of snakes, which in a country so infested with vermin 
as Ceylon renders them especially valuable. Peacocks 
likewise wage perpetual war with all kinds of reptiles, 
and Nature has wisely arranged that where these nui- 
sances most abound there is a corresponding provision 
for their destruction. 

Snipes, of course, abound in their season around the 
margin of the lakes ; but the most delicious birds for 
i:he table are the teal and ducks, of which there are 
four varieties. The largest duck is nearly the size of a 
wild goose, and has a red, fatty protuberance about the 
beak very similar to a muscovy. The teal are the fat- 
test and most delicious birds that I have ever tasted. 
Cooked in Soyer's magic stove, with a little butter, ca- 
yenne pepper, a squeeze of lime juice, a pinch of salt, 
and a spoonful of Lea and Perrins* Worcester sauce 
(which, by the by, is the best in the world for a hot 
climate), and there is no bird like a Ceylon teal. They 
are very numerous, and I have seen them in flocks of 
some thousands on the salt-water lakes on the eastern 
coast, where they are seldom or ever disturbed. Never- 
theless, they are tolerably wary, which, of course, in- 
creases the sport of shooting them. I have often 
thought what a paradise these lakes would have made 
for the veteran Colonel Hawker with his punt gun. 
He might have paddled about and blazed away to his 
heart*s content. 

There is one kind of duck that vvould undoubtedly 
have astonished him, and which would have slightly 
27 



314 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon, 

bothered the punt gun for an elevation : this is the tree 
duck, which flies about and perches in the branches of 
the lofty trees like any nightingale. This has an absurd 
effect, as a duck looks entirely out of place in such a 
situation. I have seen a whole cluster of them sitting 
on one branch, and when I first observed them I killed 
three at one shot to make it a matter of certainty. 

It is a handsome light brown bird, about the size of 
an English widgeon, but there is no peculiar formation 
in the feet to enable them to cling to a bough ; they are 
bondjide ducks with the common flat web foot. 

A very beautiful species of bald-pated coot, called by 
the natives keetoolle, is also an inhabitant of the lakes. 
This bird is of a bright blue color with a brilliant pink 
horny head. He is a slow flyer, being as bulky as a 
common fow^l and short in his proportion of wing. 

It is impossible to convey a correct idea of the number 
and variety of birds in these localities, and I will not 
trouble the reader by a description which would be very 
laborious to all parties ; but to those who delight in 
ornithological studies there is a wild field which would 
doubtless supply many new specimens. 

I know nothing more interesting than the acquaint- 
ance with all the wild denizens of mountain and plain, 
lake and river. There is always something fresh to 
learn, something new to admire, in the boundless works 
of creation. There is a charm in every sound in Nature 
where the voice of man is seldom heard to disturb her 
works. Every note gladdens the ear in the stillness of 
solitude, when night has overshadowed the earth, and 
all sleep but the wild animals of the forest. Then I have 
often risen from my bed, when the tortures of mosquitoes 
have banished all ideas of rest, and have silently wan 



Mysteries of Night in the Forest. 315 

dered from the tent to listen in the solemn quiet of 
night. 

I have seen the tired coolies stretched round the 
smouldering fires sound asleep after their day's march, 
wrapped in their white clothes, like so many corpses 
laid upon the ground. The flickering logs on the great 
pile of embers crackling and sinking as they consume ; 
now falling suddenly and throwing up a shower of 
sparks, then resting again in a dull red heat, casting a 
silvery moonlike glare upon the foliage of the spread- 
ing trees above. A little farther on, and the horses 
standing sleepily at their tethers, their heads drooping 
in a doze. Beyond them, and all is darkness and wil- 
derness. No human dwelling or being beyond the little 
encampment I have quitted ; the dark lake reflecting 
the stars like a mirror, and the thin crescent moon giv- 
ing a pale and indistinct glare which just makes night 
visible. 

It is a lovely hour then to wander forth and wait for 
wild sounds. All is still except the tiny hum of the 
mosquitoes. Then the low chuckling note of the night 
hawk sounds soft and melancholy in the distance ; and 
again all is still, save the heavy and impatient stamp of 
a horse as the mosquitoes irritate him by their bites. 
Qiiiet again for a few seconds, when presently the loud 
alarm of the plover rings over the plain — "Did he do 
it. f"'— the bird's harsh cry speaks these words as plainly 
as a human being. This alarm is a certain warning 
that some beast is stalking abroad which has disturbed 
it from its roost, but presently it is again hushed. 

The loud hoarse bark of an elk now unexpectedly 
startles the ear ; presently it is replied to by another, 
and once more the plover shrieks "Did he do it?" and a 



3i6 Eight Tears^ Wanderings in Ceylon. 

peacock waking on his roost gives one loud scream and 
sleeps again. 

The heavy and regular splashing of water now marks 
the measured tread of a single elephant as he roams 
out into the cooled lake, and you can hear the more 
gentle falHng of water as he spouts a shower over his 
body. Hark at the deep guttural sigh of pleasure 
that travels over the lake like a moan of the wind ! — 
what giant lungs to heave such a breath ; but hark 
again ! There was a fine trumpet ! as clear as any 
bugle note blown by a hundred breaths it rung through 
the still air. How beautiful ! There, the note is an- 
swered ; not by so fine a tone, but by discordant screams 
and roars from the opposite side, and the louder splash- 
ing tells that the herd is closing up to the old bull. 
Like distant thunder a deep roar growls across the lake 
as the old monarch mutters to himself in angry impa- 
tience. 

Then the long, tremulous hoot of the owl disturbs 
the night, mingled with the harsh cries of flights of 
waterfowl, which doubtless the elephants have dis- 
turbed while bathing. 

Once more all sounds sink to rest for a few minutes, 
until the low, grating roar of a leopard nearer home 
warns the horses of their danger and wakes up the 
sleeping horsekeeper, who piles fresh wood upon the 
fires, and the bright blaze shoots up among the trees 
and throws a dull, ruddy glow across the surface of 
the water. And morning comes at length, ushered in, 
before night has yet departed, by the strong, shrill cry 
of the great fish-eagle, as he sits on the topmost bough 
of some forest tree and at measured periods repeats his 
quivering and unearthly yell like an evil spirit calling 



The Devil' Bird. 317 

But hark at that dull, low note of indescribable pain 
and suffering ! long and heavy it swells and dies away. 
It is the devil-bird ; and whoever sees that bird must 
surely die soon after, according to Cingalese super- 
stition. 

A more cheering sound charms the ear as the gray 
tint of morning makes the stars grow pale ; clear, rich, 
notes, now prolonged and full, now plaintive and low, 
set the example to other singing birds, as the bulbul, 
first to awake, proclaims the morning. Wild, jungle- 
like songs the birds indulge in ; not like our steady 
thrushes of Old England, but charming in their quaint- 
ness. The jungle partridge now wakes up, and with 
his loud cry subdues all other sounds, until the numer- 
ous peacocks, perched on the high trees around the 
lake, commence their discordant yells, which master 
everything. 

The name for the devil-bird is *' gualama," and so 
impressed are the natives with the belief that a sight 
of it is equivalent to a call to the nether world that 
they frequently die from sheer fright and nervousness. 
A case of this happened to a servant of a friend of 
mine. He chanced to see the creature sitting on a 
bough, and he was from that moment so satisfied of 
his inevitable fate that he refused all food, and fretted 
and died, as, of course, any one else must do, if starved, 
whether he saw the devil-bird or not. 

Although I have heard the curious, mournful cry ot 
this creature nearly every night, I have never seen one ; 
this is easily accounted for, as, being a night-bird, it 
remains concealed in the jungle during the day. In so 
densely wooded a country as Ceylon it is not to be 
wondered at that owls, and all other birds of similar 
27* 



3i8 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon* 

habits are so rarely met with. Even woodcocks are 
rarely noticed ; so seldom, indeed, that I have never 
seen more than two during my residence in the island. 

From the same cause many interesting animals pass 
unobserved, although they are very numerous. The 
porcupine, although as common as the hedge-hog in 
England, is very seldom seen. Likewise the manis, or 
great scaled ant-eater, who retires to his hole before 
break of day, is never met with by daylight. Indeed^ 
I have had some trouble in persuading many persons 
in Ceylon that such an animal exists in the country. 

In the same manner the larger kinds of serpents con- 
ceal themselves by day and wander forth at night, like 
all other reptiles except the smaller species of lizard, 
of which we have in Ceylon an immense variety, 
from the crocodile himself down to the little house- 
lizard. 

Of this tribe the " cabra goya" and the " iguana" 
grow to a large size ; the former I have killed as long 
as eight or nine feet, but the latter seldom exceeds four. 
I have often intended to eat one, as the natives consider 
them a great delicacy, but I have never been quite 
hungry enough to make the trial whenever one was at 
hand. The " cabra goya" is a horrid brute, and is not 
considered eatal)le even by the Cingalese. 

One curious species of lizard exists in Ceylon ; it is 
a little brown species with a peculiarly rough skin and 
a serrated spine. A long horn projects from the snout, 
and it is a fac-simile in miniature of the antediluvian 
monster, the " iguanodon," who was about a hundred 
feet long and twelve feet thick — an awkward creature 
to meet in a narrow road. However, the crocodiles of 
modern times are awkward enough for the present dayi 



Outrig^ger Canoes. 319 

and sometimes grow to the immense length of twenty- 
two feet. 

It has frequently surprised me that they do not upset 
the small canoes in which the natives paddle about the 
lakes and rivers. These are formed in the simplest 
manner, of very rude materials, by hollowing out a 
small log of wood and attaching an outrigger. Some 
of these are so small that the gunwale is close to the 
water's edge when containing only one person. 

Even the large sea-canoes are constructed on a simi- 
lar principle ; but they are really very wonderful boats 
for both speed and safety. 

A simple log of about thirty feet in length is hollowed 
out. This is. tapered off at either end, so as to form a 
kind of prow. The cylindrical shape of the log is pre- 
served as much as possible in the process of hollowing, 
so that no more tha;n a section of one fourth of the 
circle is pared away upon the upper side. 

Upon the edges of this aperture the top sides of the 
canoe are formed by simple planks, which are merely 
sewn upon the main body of the log parallel to each 
other, and slightly inclining outward, so as to admit 
the legs of persons sitting on the canoe. 

A Vessel of this kind would of course capsize im- 
mediately, as the top weight of the upper works would 
overturn the flute-like body upon which they rested. 
This is prevented by an outrigger, which is formed of 
elastic rods of tough wood, which, being firmly bound 
together, project at right angles from the upper works. 
At the extremity of these two rods, there is a tapering 
log of lignt wood, which very much resembles the bot- 
tom log of the canoe in miniature. This, floating on 
the water, bal^nc^s the cauo^ in an upright position ; it 



320 Eight years' Wanderings in Ceylon, 

cannot be upset until some force is exerted upon the 
mast of the canoe which is either sufficient to lift the 
outrigger out of the water, or on the other hand to sink 
it altogether ; either accident being prevented by the 
great leverage required. Thus, when a heavy breeze 
sends the little vessel flying like a swallow over the 
waves, and the outrigger to windward shows symptoms 
of lifting, a man runs out upon the connecting rod, and, 
squatting upon the outrigger, adds his weight to the 
leverage. Two long bamboos, spreading like a letter 
V from the bottom of the canoe, form the masts, and 
support a single square sail, which is immensely large 
in proportion to the size and weight of the vessel. 

The motion of these canoes under a stiff breeze is 
most deh'ghtful ; there is a total absence of rolling, 
which is prevented by the outrigger, and the steadiness 
of their course under a press of sail is very remarkable. 
I have been in these boats in a considerable surf, which 
they fly through like a fish ; and if the beach is sandy 
and the inclination favorable, their own impetus will 
carry them high and dry. 

Sewing the portions of a boat together appears ill 
adapted to purposes of strength ; but all the Cingalese 
vessels are constructed upon this principle : the two 
edges of the planks being brought together, a strip of 
the areca palm stem is laid over the joints, and holes 
being drilled upon each plank, the sewing is drawn 
tightly over the lath of palm, which being thickly 
smeared with a kind of pitch, keeps the seams per- 
fectly water-tight. The native dhonies, which are ves- 
sels of a hundred and fifty tons, are all fastened in this 
simple and apparently fragile manner ; nevertheless 
they are excellent sea-boats, and ride in safety through 



The Last Glimpse of Ceylon. 321 

many a gale of wind. The first moving object which 
met my view on ari'ival within sight of Ceylon was an 
outrigger canoe, which shot past our vessels as if we had 
been at anchor. 

The last object that my eyes rested on, as the 
cocoa-nut trees of Ceylon faded from sight, was again 
the native canoe which took the last farewell lines to 
those who were left behind. Upon this I gazed till it 
became a gray speck upon the horizon and the green 
shores of the Eastern paradise faded from my eyes for 
ever. 

«K « * » » « 

How little did I imagine, when these pages were 
commenced in Ceylon, that their conclusion would be 
written in England ! 

An unfortunate shooting trip to one of the most un- 
healthy parts of the country killed my old horse 
"Jack," one coolie, and very nearly extinguished me, 
rendering it imperative that I should seek a change of 
climate in England. And what a dream-like change 
it is !^— past events appear unreal, and the last few 
years seem to have escaped from the connecting chain 
of former life. Scarcely can I believe in the bygone 
days of glorious freedom, when I wandered through 
that beautiful country, unfettered by the laws or cus- 
toms of conventional life. 

The white cliffs of Old England rose hazily on the 
horizon, and greeted many anxious eyes as the vessel 
rushed proudly on with her decks thronged with a liv- 
ing freight, all happy as children in the thoughts of 
home. The sun shone brightly and gave a warm wel- 
come on our arrival ; and as the steamer moored along- 
Bide the quay, an hour sufficed to scatter the host of 

V 



322 Eight Tears* Wanderings in Ceylon, 

passengers who had so closely dwelt together, as com- 
pletely as the audience of a theatre when the curtain falls. 
That act of life is past — " exeunt omnes^* and a new 
scene commences. We are in England. 

A sudden change necessarily induces a comparison, 
and I imagine there are few who have dwelt much 
among the Tropics who do not acquire a distaste for the 
English climate, and look back with lingering hopes to 
the verdant shores they have left so far behind. The 
recollection of absent years, which seem to have been 
the summer of life, makes the chill of the present feel 
doubly cold, and our thoughts still cling to the past, 
while we strive against the belief that we never can re- 
call those days again. 

How, as my thoughts wander back to former scenes, 
every mountain and valley reappears in the magic glass 
of memory ! Every rock and dell, every old twisted 
stem, every dark ravine and wooded cliff, the distant 
outlines of the well-known hills, the jungle-paths known 
to my eye alone, and the far, still spots where I have 
often sat in solitude and pondered over the events of 
life, and conjured up the faces of those so far away, 
doubtful if we should ever meet again. Thus even now 
I picture to myself the past ; and so vivid is the scene 
that I can almost hear the fancied roar of the old water- 
falls, and see the shadowy tints which the evening sun 
throws upon the tree-tops. My old home rises before 
me like a dissolving view, and I can see the very spot 
where it was my delight to live, where a warm welcome 
awaited every friend. And lastly, the faces of those 
friends seem clear before me, and bring back the asso- 
ciations of old times. Those who have shared in com- 
mon many of these scenes I trust to meet again, and 



A Glance at Old Times, 323 

look back upon the events of former days as landscapes 
on the road of life that we have viewed together. 

For me Ceylon has always had a charm, and I shall 
ever retain a vivid interest in the colony. 

I trust that a new and more prosperous era has now 
commenced, and that Ceylon, having shaken off the in- 
cubus of mismanagement, may, under the rule of a 
vigorous and enterprising governor, arrive at that pros- 
perity to which she is entitled by her capabilities. 

The governor recently appointed (Sir H. Ward) has 
a task before him which his well-known energy will 
doubtless enable him to perform. 



TKS BND 



ENOCXH MGR^MTB SOSS' 







OLBANS 

WINDOWS, 
MARBLE, 

P0I.TSHB3 
IIN-WA 
JBON,STi:EL,&(T, 




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l49tQl55Eastl4{hSf.,N.Y. 



Ohas. Dickens' Complete "Works, 

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IfCrVO'mBklF ^%D/^AM The flneet organ in the 

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LOVELL'S LIBRARY.-CATALOGUE. 



113. 



115. 

116. 
117. 
118 
119 



MoreWoTda Abont the Bible, 
by Rev. Jas. S. Bush 20 

114. MoiisieurLecoq GaboriaaPt.I.SO 

Monsieur Lecoq, Pt. II 20 

An Outline of Irish History, by 

Justin H. McCarthy ; . . 10 

The Lero iige Case, by Gaboriau. . 21 
Paul Clifford, by I-orcI Lyt;on. . .20 
A New Lease of Life, by About. . 20 
Bmrbon Lilies 20 

120 Other People s Money, Gaboriau.iiO 

121. The Lady of Lyons, Lyiton,. .10 

122. Ampline de Bourg . — 15 

123. A Sea Queen, by W. Russell 8J 

134. The Ladies Liddores, by Mrs. 

Oliphant. ......*. 20 

1'>5. Haunted Heart*!, by Simpson. ...10 
126. Lors, I ord Beresford, by The 

DuchePS... 20 

12r. Under Two Flas;s, Ouida,Pt. I.. 15 
Under Two Flags, Pt. II 15 

128 Money, by Lord Lytton 10 

129 in Peril of His life, by Gaboriau.20 

1 \0 India, by Max Miiller 20 

rn. Jetsa-idFla^'hes 20 

l',2. Moonshine and Marguerites, by 

The Duchess 10 

133. Mr Scarborough's Family, by 

Anthony Trollope, Part 1 15 

Mr Scarborough'sFarnily. PtI1 15 
Arden, by A. Mary F. Robiu8on.15 

The Tower of Percemout 20 

Yolande, by Wm. Black 20 

i;, Cruel London by Joseph TTat^on. 20 
18s' The Gilded CI que, by (^aboriau.20 
139* Pike County Folk^E H. Mott..20 

i 10 Cricket on the Hearth 10 

141. Hen-y Esin md, by ThackP'-ay..20 

142 Stranse Ad ventures of a Phae- 

ton, by Wm. Black 20 

143 Denis Duval, by Thnckoray 10 

144 oi'iCnri )sityShop,Dicken8,PtI.15 
' Old Curiosity Shop, Part II. . . .15 

145. Ivanhoe, by Scott, Part 1 15 

Ivanhoe, by Scott, Part II 15 

146 White VVings. by Wm.B'ack..20 

147* The Sketch Book, by Irving 20 

14<i' Ch herine, by W M. Thackeray.lO 

149. Janet's Kepentance, by Eliot.... 10 

150. Barnaby Kud2;e, Dickens, Pt I.. 15 
Birna'^y Rud<,'e, Pnrt II 15 

IM. F<>lixIIolt, b/- Georo-e Eliot.... 20 

r>"J R'Chelieu, by Lord Lvttdn 10 

153! Sunrise,.by Wm. Black, Part I.. 15 
hnnrise, by Wm. Black Part 11.15 
154. Tour of the World in 80 Days.. 20 
155' Mystery of Orcival Gaboriau — 20 
15(j'. Lovel. the Widower, by W. M. 

Th ickeray 10 

157. R -maute Adventures of a Milk- 
maid, by Thomas TIardv 10 

David C^pperfield, Dickens, Pt 1.20 

D ivid Copperfield. t art IF 20 

Rienzi, by Lord Lytton, Part I.. 15 
B tizi, by Lord Lytton. PartII.15 
P-o uise of Mnrriase, Gaboriau.. 10 
Faith and Unfaith, by The 
DuchesB 20 



134. 

135. 
186. 



158. 

160. 

181. 
162. 



163. The Happy Man, by Lover... 10 

164. Barry Lyndon, by Thackeray.... 20 
1(55, F^y re's Acquittal ,. ..10 

166. Twenty Thousand Leagues Un- 

der the Sea, by Jules Verne. . . ,20 

167. Anti Slavery Days, by James 

Freeman Clarke 20 

168. Bc^auty'8 Daughters, by The 

Dnchess. 20 

169. Beyond the S unripe,. . 20 

] 0. Hard Times, by Charles Dickens. 20 
17 1. Tom Cringle's L<^s. by M.Scott.. 20 
17-2. Vanity Fair, by W M.thackeray.?0 

173. Underground Russia, Stepniak..20 

174. Middlemarch, by ElHot, Pt I....20 
Middlemarch. Part II 20 

175 SirTom, by Mrs. Oliphant 20 

176 Pel ham, by Lord Lytton 5^0 

177. The Story of Ida 10 

its: Madcyp Violet, by Wm. Black, .5)0 

179. The Little Pilgrim 10 

180. Kilmeny, by Wm Black ...20 

181. Whist, or Bumblepuppy? 10 

1S2. The Beautiful Wretch, Black.. ..20 

183. Her Mother's Sin, by B. M. Clny.20 

184. Green Pastures and Piccadilly,' 

by Wm Black 20 

185. The Mysterious Island, by Jules 

Verne, Part 1 15 

The Mysterious Island, Part II. ,15 
The Mysterious Island, Part 111.15 

186. Tom Brown at Oxford, Part I ... 1 5 
Tom Brown at Oxford, Part II, .15 

187. Thirker than Water, by J. Payu.2 ) 

188. In Silk Attire, by Wm. Black. . .20 

189. Scottish Chiefs.Jane Porter,Pt.I.20 
Scottish Chiefs, Part II 20 

190. Willy Reilly, by Will Carleton..20 

191. The Nautz Family, by Shelley .20 

192. Great Expectations, by Dickens,'' 

193. Pendennis.by Thackeray, Part 1.20 
Pendennis.by Thackeray ,Part 1 1.20 

J94. Widow Bedott Papers 20 

195. Daniel Deronda.Gco. Eliot,Pt, I.rO 
Daniel Deronda, Part II 20 

196. AltioraPeto, by Oliphan^.... .,20 

197. Bv the Ga'e of the Sea, by David 

Christie Murray 15 

Tales of a Traveller, by Irving, . .20 
Life and Voyages of Columbus, 

by Washington Irving, Part I. .20 
Life and Voyages of Columbus, 

by Washington Irving, Part 11.20 

The Pilgrim's Progresa . . 20 

Martin Chuzzlewit, by Charles 

Dickens, Part 1 20 

Martin Chuzzlewit, Part II 20 

202. Theophrasius Suc^i, Geo. Eliot, , .20 
;03. Disarmed, M. Betham-Ed wards.. 15 

204. Eugene Aram by Lord Lytton, 20 

205. The >-panish Gypsy and Other , 

Poems, by George Eliot 20 

206. Cast Up by the Sea Baker 20 

207. Mill on the Floss, Eliot, Pt, I. . .15 
Mill on the Floss, Part II 15 

208. Brother Jacob, and Mr, GilfiPs 

Love Story, by George Eliot. . .10 

209. Wrecks in the Sea of Life .20 



198, 
199. 



200. 
201. 



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